Sweet Kagome
by KuraKitsune
Summary: NEW! It's not really a pairing fic, but I stuck Yusuke in here on a whim. It's mostly a motherly fic between Shippo and Kagome.
1. That's What I Really Meant To Say

Hey, my faithful readers. WellI decided to post this one-shot because I heard a sad song and I thought I would make this one-shot a songcif. It is Inuy/Kag, but it is quite sad. If you don't want to cry, don't read. Or do, I'll try to make it good. But anyway I hope you like it.

**One-shot song fic featuring a sad Inu/Kag**.

Dislaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I own the song, "That's What I Really Meant To Say." It is sung by Cyndi Thompson.

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"That's What I Really Meant To Say" 

She walked slowly and deliberately down the dismal streets, not even bothering to wipe off the rain falling so ruthlessly as it beat down upon her face and drenched her once, nicely pressed shirt and pants. No, the rain couldn't hurt her. Nothing could except for the painful secret she kept inside her soul, buried so deep she knew no one could ever penetrate it.

She was staring blankly ahead with unseeing eyes, never noticing the silver and red blur that spotted her as she seemed to ghost over the brick road. The figure smiled slightly at her before walking up behind her.

"Hey, Kagome."

_**It took me by surprise,**_

_**When I saw you standing there.**_

Kagome's eyes widened, before slowly turning to face the one person who she had no will to face as of now.

But even so, she found herself looking deep into his golden eyes. "Inuyasha," she replied, not even bothering to shower him with her normally cheery attitude; just a small smile that never reached her eyes.

He was standing there drenched in rain, but even that did nothing to defuse his gorgeous looks. Looking handsome as ever, he was wearing a red muscle shirt, black jeans and a black leather jacket. His long silver white hair traveled low down his back, just gently brushing his butt, as the rain slithered down his face and neck.

Kagome gulped, swallowing the painful lump in her throat at his proximity.

But, oh god he was so close to her she just wanted to touch him, as she allowed herself to trail her endless blue orbs uponthe once-upon-a-time love of her life.

_**Close enough to touch,**_

_**Breathing the same air.**_

"So, what's up Kagome," he asked. "You doing all right?" He was smiling that cockysmile of his, the one that sent her stomach all aflutter with feelings she had never gotten used to in all the years she'd been with him.

She couldn't help it, letting a small smile grace her lips. "Yes, I'm just fine," She responded softly

_**You asked me how I been,**_

_**I guess that's when I smiled and said, "just fine."**_

His smile grew wider, boyish even. They stood in silence, Kagome feeling the slight strain she always felt around him these days while he continued to look oh so utterly happy. Yes, he looked happy. Her heart shattered again. And she struggled endlessly for something to say to him. What she really wanted to say. But for some reason, the words wouldn't come.

_**Oh, but baby**_

_**I was lyin'.**_

"So how is Kikyo?" Kagome asked, her voice betraying none of the pain she was feeling. _Wait, that's not what I wanted to say._

_**What I really meant to say,**_

_**Was I'm dyin' here inside.**_

_**And I miss you more each day,**_

_**There's not a night I haven't cried.**_

_**And baby, here's the truth,**_

_**I'm still in love with you.**_

_**Yeah, that's what I really meant to say.**_

"Feh! The woman won't stop complaining. Day and night she sends me out for more food as her cravings are getting worse and totally disgusting," he said this with a grimace, but Kagome knew. She could hear it in his voice, hear just how much he was in love with...his wife. Kagome's heart nearly bled into tears as her face once again betrayed nothing of her inner turmoil and never-ending pain and suffering.

"Yes, but, when it's all over, it will all be worth it," She replied politely.

"Feh!"

But he was smiling on the inside, while she...she was crying.

Inuyasha's smile was quiet and serene this time, and Kagome knew he was thinking about...about _her_.

"Well, Kagome, I've got to get going. Kikyo has a doctor's appointment and I'm supposed to be picking her up right about now."

"All right." _Wait...no. That wasn't it either._

He gently pulled her into a friendly hug, and Kagome felt the whoosh of rising heat and tried to control her body and feelings, only allowing herself to soak up these last few moments in her old lover's arms.

He pulled away, smiled at her again, and began ambling down the street whistling a sweet, happy tune.

_**And as you walked away,**_

_**The echo of my words,**_

_**Cut just like a knife,**_

_**Cut so deep it hurts.**_

Oh god it hurt; Kagome clutched her chest trying for all her might to gain the strength to hold in her failing composure. How could he just leave like that without knowing her feelings for him?

"Inuyasha!" she blurted out before realizing what she'd done.

Up ahead, Inuyasha turned at the call of his name, but Kagome ducked around a corner just in time to conceal herself where he couldn't see her. She watched as he shrugged his shoulders and turned back around continuing blissfully on his way.

_**I Held back the tears**_

_**Held on to my pride **_

_**And watched you go. **_

_**I wonder if you love me.**_

Kagome was now choking on her tears, reigning in what little pride she had left. No, she could never tell him. He would never know; never know how she'd cried his name for nights on end, never know how much she wanted to be the one in his life, married to him and carrying...his child.

_**What I really meant to say,**_

_**Was I'm dyin' here inside.**_

_**And I miss you more each day,**_

_**There's not a night I haven't cried.**_

_**And baby, here's the truth**_

_**I'm still in love with you.**_

_**Yeah, that's what I really meant to say.**_

Yes that was how it was going to be. Although she just wanted to crumple inside and break down all her barriers and run after him, to correct him on his mistake, to make him understand, to make him love her again. _Oh, God, Inuyasha, how can I be strong without you with me? I'm dying without you; can't you see that?_

_**What I really meant to say,**_

_**Is I'm really not the strong.**_

_**No matter how I try.**_

_**I'm still holding on.**_

_**Here's the honest truth,**_

_**I'm still in love with you.**_

_**Yeah, that's what I really meant to say.**_

Kagome closed her eyes and peered around the corner again, watching him walk away from her for the second and last time as his wife came out to greet him and kiss him lovingly. She watched him, before turning away.

_**That's what I really meant to say.**_

Kagome looked to the sky, closing her eyes allowing her tears to flow freely now, combining with the wind and rain, and creating her own sad world.

"Inuyasha, I love you," she whispered brokenly.

"That's what I really meant to say."

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So, what did you all think? Was it good, bad, terrible? Well, respond and tell me what you guys think. 

Kura-Kun's-lovr


	2. You Don't Owe Me A Thing

Hey, guys. This is a short sweet one-shot. I won't tell you the pairings, because you'll figure it out throughout the ficcie. Anyway, this is also a song-fic too because I was listening to it and got inspired. I know all ya'll who read my other stories will sincerely enjoy this. And I hope you do.

Disclaimer: I don't own the song, "Chain of Love." It is by Clay Walker. I also don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

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"You Don't Owe Me a Thing" 

Kurama pulled onto the highway that night after a long stressful day at work. He smiled to himself at the thought of being home in bed with his pretty wife. His eyes were blinking sleepily and he clicked on his radio as he noticed it was beginning to snow. A few miles down the road Kurama noticed the snow was getting thicker. He just hoped nobody was stuck out in this cold. It was a very frigid night and he was sure no one could survive being stuck in this kind of weather.

Kurama was about halfway home when he spotted a small car pulled to the side of the road. He whistled softly under his breath. It looked to bequite anexpensive brand. The caution lights were blinking at him and at first he didn't see anyone inside. But amoment later, an old woman appeared. She was waving her arms frantically; and even from this distance she looked scared. Kurama sighed to himself, knowing that he would be late getting home, but at least he was doing something good.

_He was drivin' home one evening,_

_In his beat up Pontiac._

_When an old lady flagged him down_

_Her Mercedes had a flat._

Kurama pulled his car in behind her, instantly noticing that the lady had a flat. He climbed out of his car and approached the woman. Her face was white and pale, and she looked so small and frightened. He smiled at her charmingly.

"Hello," he said. "Are you okay?"

The woman smiled gratefully and stepped towards him. "Yes, I'm fine. I was driving when I noticed my car was wobbling a little. As soon as I pulled off I noticed the flat, except," she grinned wryly, "I have no idea how to change it."

Kurama grinned back. "That's okay, I'll change it for you. Why don't you wait and stay warm in my car?" He suggested. "I'll be done in just a few minutes."

"Oh, you will?" the lady seemed surprised. "That's very nice of you. Thank you. I think about a million cars passed me by before you showed up." She chuckled slightly.

"Sure, but the way I'm Kurama."

_He could see that she was frightened,_

_Standing out there in the snow._

_Till he said I'm here to help you ma'am;_

_By the way, my name's Joe_

_She said "I'm from St. Louis _

_And I'm only passing through._

_I must have seen a 100 cars go by;_

_This is awful nice of you."_

The woman sat inKurama's car and in no time at all,he had busied himself with her tire. Within 15 minutes, a spare was in place and all the tools were put away. The woman stepped back out ofthe warmcar and Kurama noticed she was carrying her purse, but he still smiled pleasantly.

"I can't thank you enough. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't have stopped by," she said.

"It was nothing. You should be okay to drive fornow. Just make sure you get somewhere and have your tire changed quickly. You don't want to be driving with a baby tire along these slick roads," he answered charmingly. He turned to leave but was startled when he felt the smooth texture of her leather glove.

Turning to her, he asked, "Yes? Is there something else you need?"

"Well don't you want payment?" she asked, frowning slightly, looking at the crisp dollars she held in her hand.

Kurama shook his head. "Oh no, ma'am, it's okay. I'll just be on my way."

"Are you sure?"

_When he changed her tire and closed her trunk _

_And was about to drive away;_

_She said "how much do I owe you?"_

_Here's what he had to say._

Kurama looked at her for a long moment, before saying,

"_You don't owe me a thing_

_I been there too._

_Someone once helped me out_

_Just the way I'm helping you._

_If you really wanna' pay me back_

_Here's what you do._

_Don't let the chain of love_

_End with you."_

Kurama pulled away as the lady stared after the kindest man she'd ever met. Smiling to herself, she climbed into her car.

As she pulled away slowly, she heard the distinct sound of her stomach rumbling. After all that tension, she supposed her stomach was allowed to be hungry. So she chuckled to herself and looked for a nice place to pull off.

"Ah," she said to herself as a small restaurant came into view. The woman pulled into a close parking spot and got out, noticing that there were very few people around. She stepped in the door and found a nice quiet place to seat. As she slipped out of her coat, a waitress approached the table, waddling, more than walking.

_Well a few miles down the road_

_The lady saw a small café_

_She went in the grab a bite to eat_

_And then be on her way._

"Hello, I'm Kagome, and I'll be taking care of you," the waitress said, a small, weary smile on her face. The placed looked dead and come to think of it...so did the young woman.

The lady smiled warmly at the young girl, who must have been very young. She looked about 18 and...she was obviously very pregnant. The lady smiled and stated her order.

"Thanks, I'll be right back," the waitress said as she walked away. She was back within five minutes and smiled sweetly as she placed the food before the woman.

"Enjoy your meal," Kagome said, smiling with generosity. The woman ate her meal in silence but her gaze kept continuously swinging to her waitress, who was by now leaning heavily against the counter. The woman continued staring as Kagome rubbed her belly tiredly and laughed at something one of her coworkers said.

The lady couldn't help but notice she was exhausted.

_But she couldn't help but notice_

_How the waitress smiled so sweet._

_And how she must have been 8 months along_

_And dead on her feet._

The woman was finished in no time as Kagome came to collect her bill.

"Thanks, I'll be right back," Kagome said pleasantly.

"Oh, miss," The lady interrupted.

Kagome turned and smiled that sweet, warm smile.

"Could you tell me where the restroom is?"

"Sure," Kagome said. "It's over there to the right." Kagome pointed to the restroom sign, which was right next to an exit.

"Thank you."

_No, she didn't know her story._

_And she probably never will._

_When the waitress went to get her change_

_From a hundred dollar bill._

When Kagome came back the woman was gone. Glancing around curiously for the old woman, Kagome couldn't find her anywhere.

Then Kagome looked at the money in her hands, wondering if the woman had simply forgot. Shrugging, Kagome put the money away in a safe place in case the customer came back. She began cleaning the table, mindful of her stomach. When she felt a strong kick from the inside, Kagome smiled softly and placed a soothing hand on her stomach, thinking of her loving husband.

Then something white with clear writing on it caught her eye. She noticed it was a napkin with something written on it.

_The lady slipped right out the door_

_And on a napkin left a note._

_There were tears in the waitress's eyes _

_When she read what she wrote._

As Kagome read it quizzically, her face drained of all natural color, but her eyes flashed with long suppressedemotions. Silent tears began streaming down her face and eventually someone had to come help her sit down.

"What, what is it?" her boss asked frantically. "Is it time?"

Kagome could do nothing but hastily throw the note in front of her boss's face. Her boss's eyes widened as she read the note.

"_You don't owe me a thing_

_I been there too._

_Someone once helped me out_

_Just the way I'm helping you._

_If you really wanna' pay me back_

_Here's what you do._

_Don't let the chain of love_

_End with you."_

Kagome drove home that night, happier than she'd been in quitea while. She couldn't help but thank the lady who'd done such a wonderful thing. Too many people so far hadn't been so sympathetic about a teenager with a child; even her own parents.

Kagome exhaustedly climbed out of her car, grabbed her purse, and approached her front door. Stepping in she carefully locked up, noticing that her husband was already home. Smiling wistfully at the thought of climbing into her bed and wrapping herself up in her husband's warm embrace, Kagome waddled her way up the stairs and into their bedroom.

_That night when she got home from work_

_The waitress climbed into beds_

_She was thinking bought that money_

_And what the lady's note had said._

She changed quickly and got ready for bed, pulling on a silk white nightgown her husband had bought her. When she stepped into her room and caught sight of him, her skipped a beat like it always did whenever she looked at him. From the moment she'd first set eyes on him, her heart had fluttered. He was curled on his side, his arm extended to her side as if in invitation. The light was still on, a sign that he had attempted to wait up for her. He was always so thoughtful and sweet. Smiling serenely, she walked slowly to her bed, after reaching over him and turning off the light, kissing his temple lightly.

"Kagome?" his sleepy voice asked, as he temporarily woke up.

"Yes, it's me," she whispered back. "Go back to sleep."

He smiled and pulled her into his arms so he was resting spooned up against her. She sighed with love and fell into his embrace as he whispered that he loved her and thathe would see her in the morning. He was back asleep in minutes and Kagome gently traced his face with her finger tips. How she loved him. And as she slowly drifted off to sleep, she whispered, "I love you, Kurama. I think everything's going to be okay now."

_And as her husband lay there sleepin',_

_She whispered soft and low_

"_Everything's gonna be all right,_

_I love you, Joe."_

_

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_

Finished! And, yes it is complete. Unless of course you guys would like me to write a prequel for this, but for me to know or decide anything, you must review. Because I said so. If you don't review, I will eat you! Well, not really. I don't eat humans. And since I can't eat you, I'll send my personal enterage of flying monkeys to do it for me. Trust me, it won't be a pretty sight. So please review!

Update: There will be no prequel for this story. I already have too many other stories I'm working on and I don't need to be working on anymore.

Ja ne

Kura-kun's-lovr


	3. Kuronue's New Love

Hey guys! Long time not write! And would you like for me to tell you why that is? Well it is because this site is messed up. It took off one of my other song fics saying something like I claimed it as mine and that I had couldn't upload anything for 7 days straight. So while most of your were bitchin and whining about me updating, let me tell you I was doing the same. I'm going to try to post the fic again because there was no reason what so ever for it to have been taken off in the first place. Anyway during my long, dreaded absence my mind went into crazy time and this cute little one-shot is the product. It is Kuronue/Kagome/Yoko impled but it seems as if Kuronue has found a new love. To find out what it is you must read!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho!

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Kuronue's New Love 

Chapter 1

"I don't wanna'," the man whined staring up at the towering hill of the monstrosity known as the **roller coaster.**

"Yes, you do," a girl demanded trying in vain to push the larger demon forward. But it was no use. His slouched stance and what little body weight she carried did her no good as the man did not budge an inch. He turned his head to glance behind to see his mate pushing insistently against his back and smirked at her. She sent him a vicious glare in return which turned into a pout when he still continued to deny her.

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure?" another man spoke up mockingly. He tipped his silver head back and grinned maliciously at his partner.

"NO! I'm not going to go on that contraption and that's final!" Ten minutes later found him standing at the back end of a **huge **line that seemed never ending. Good maybe it would be. He could stand in line for all eternity for all he cared. Just as long as he didn't have to get on..._that_. His arms were crossed cutely in front of his chest and his mouth was frowned down in a pout as he glared at his evil, evil partner and equally evil, evil mate.

He turned green when he saw a human walk by and puke in a trash can, his friends standing back and laughing at the poor, unknowing fool. Ha, Kuronue scoffed at the idiot boy. He should have known better than to climb on that...that horrid machine! It was so big, so huge, so...scary! "See," he pointed to the boy and trying to make his point to his less than amused mate. "See what happens Kagome? Do you want that to happen to me?"

"Kuronue, you're such a wimp," the kitsune laughed, wrapping an arm around the girl. "Why don't you be a man and suck it up. Come on, you've looked death in the face and screamed 'ha!' before."

"Yeah, just before death kicked me in the ass and then the balls, just for good measure," Kuronue grumbled. "She was pretty cute, though!"

Kagome smacked him on the arm. "Hey! That was only because you called me a fat pig and that I was never going to take you alive...which was true...**since you were dead**!" Kagome stepped up and planted her forehead against the stupid bat demon. Kuronue growled and stared right back, arms reaching to grab her shoulders.

"No need to shout, love, we can hear you just fine," Yoko winced rubbing his ears and crying out when she pinched him in return. Then he smirked. He loved when his little vixen got into a fight with his best friend. It made him horny to see them all up in each other's faces like that..." Yoko's thoughts trailed off as his face slipped into an all knowing and perverted mask while Kuronue and Kagome continued their...discussion.

"Well you were trying to steal my soul," Kuronue proclaimed, stepping even closer.

_Oh yeah._ This from Yoko who was still thinking dirty thoughts.

"You were dying you fool! I wasn't the one who told you to go break into some dead guy's vault and steal stuff just to have him turn around and send **all **of his men after you. News flash! I didn't kill you, they did!"

Kagome pushed him away.

_Damn._ Yoko's ears fell in disappointment.

"I couldn't help it. It was Yoko! He left me there!" Kuronue stepped back up to the plate, lips just inches from Kagome's mouth.

_Yeah...hey wait! _Yoko's ears pricked...and then lay flat against his skull.

"Hey, it was you who told Yoko to run...if you didn't want to die, why did you tell him to run?" Kagome challenged, eyes drifting shut.

"It was worth it," Kuronue moaned just before smothering her lips with his own, resulting in a full make out session as all around them people stared, while Yoko...fumed quietly in his head. It wasn't his fault Kuronue died. One woman passed out in her husbands arms as her husband just continued to stare at the happy...er...pissed...er...the couple!

Kagome pulled away and smiled at the bat. "How so?"

"Well I met you didn't I...and for some reason you let me live...although come to think of it, why did you bring me back to my body and let me live again?" He'd always wondered about that. Yoko had almost had a hernia when Kuronue had walked in the door with a mate and said he was 'back from the dead, did ya' miss me? I'm starved, what's for dinner?'

"Honestly...you were annoying me with your incessant nagging about dying to early and that you never got the chance to see me nak-hey wait! I put you back in your body because you didn't get to see me naked!"

"I didn't know that," Yoko spoke up, eyes wide in curiosity and Kagome could clearly see the response that was sure to follow. "That was a good one, Kuronue."

Kagome smacked Yoko on his ass, though Yoko only wiggled his eyebrows. "Kinky, vixen. Can't you wait!" She blushed and then tossed her hair and sent him her own smirk, a smirk filled with promise, and walked off, still dragging the protesting bat demon behind as the line moved up a bit more.

About a million hours later...

"Wow!" Yoko sat gawking, staring up at the large hill they were about to climb. He had one hand above his eyes, shading them from the glow of the sun as he tried to see just what was over the hill. He couldn't even see anything from his seat behind his mate.

Kagome was in the seat in front of him with Kuronue on her left.

"You have pretty hair," a little voice spoke up from beside Yoko and both Kuronue and Kagome turned to see a little girl, head tilted way, way back as she stared up at Yoko, one finger pressed to her lips in awe.

"Why...thank you, little girl," Yoko grinned broadly. Of course he had pretty hair. He already knew this, but it was nice to head someone else say it once in awhile. The only compliments he got were when he and his mate were in-.

"Are you a girl?" the little girl asked innocently.

Yoko's face fell as Kuronue began laughing and Kagome giggled at the cuteness of the girl. "How did you know?" Kuronue questioned the girl, eyes wide with amusement.

Yoko growled at Kuronue and turned to the little girl. "No, I'm not a girl! I'm a kitsune."

The little girl's mouth opened into a little 'o' expression. Her head tilted to the side. "What's a kitsune?"

Kagome and Kuronue collapsed laughing together while Yoko pouted even more. "It's a type of demon, kid," he tried not to growl.

"What's a demon? Why do you have ears? Why are his ears pointed...and his face is white...are you sick mister man?" she asked addressing the ashen face of Kuronue as he caught a glimpse of the ground below him. He tried to tell himself that everything was okay and if worse things come to worse than he could just fly away...right! But now if he was strapped into this confounded contraption. Kuronue's eyes widened as he began panicking in his seat. First he tried to forcefully push the bar up. But when that didn't seem to be working he began gnawing on the bars, intent on getting out of this torture device before it dumped him to his bloody and quite stupid-way-of-dying death. He was a demon. He wanted to go down fighting to his last breath...or fu-

Kagome turned to survey her mate and indeed found his face very white as they were now approaching the top of the hill. "Are you okay, Kuronue?" she asked lying a hand gently on his arm, thus interrupting me from finishing that sentence Kuronue was about to think. "Don't worry. Just close your eyes. It'll all be over soon."

"That's what you said when we first met," Kuronue muttered and Kagome couldn't find it in her heart to be offended.

"Its okay, mister man. Rides are fun!" the little girl chirped leaning forward and patting the back of Kuronue's hair.

Kuronue looked over his head and wondered if maybe he was making a big deal out of all this.

"Hey, Kuronue, this little girl has better nerves than you do," Yoko laughed.

Kuronue growled and sat up straighter. "Watch it, kitsune, no lit'l bit of a girl is going to get the best of me on this ride, nor you for that matter."

"That's the spirit!" Kagome and Yoko screamed together just as the ride tipped over the hill and Kuronue's eyes fell back into his skull.

Five minutes later and it was Yoko who surprisingly hadn't been able to hack it. His head was now buried in a trash can while a green looking Kagome rubbed his back and Kuronue was the laughing friend. "Ha that was fun!" Kuronue crowed triumphantly, pumping his fist into the air like Captain Planet. He had never felt so alive. That had been so exhilarating, so exuberating, so...fun! It was almost as good as stealing...or fu-.

"Speak for yourself baka," Yoko grumbled, thus cutting me off again from making Kuronue finish that perverted thought, lifting his head just long enough to glare at his partner...that was until his head spun again and his stomach heaved. He choked up bile and turned back to his salvation in the form of a trash can.

"I don't know who was screaming louder," Kuronue just didn't know when to quit. "You...or the little girl...or perhaps that was you screaming like a baby." He noticed his mate was looking a bit ill her self.

"What's the matter, Kagome?" he asked innocently, batting his eyelashes. "Didn't you enjoy that? After all it was you who tried to convince me that rides were not 'transports for the dead' and that they did not 'suck out your souls when you go through the tunnels.' Are you sure that information was accurate?"

"Kuronue," Kagome growled and made to wrap her hands around his neck until the dizziness got to her and she and Yoko shared in their misery together. It was quite the bonding experience!

Later on that night when Kagome and Kurama were finally finished emptying the contents of their stomachs, Kuronue was the only one who still appeared in high spirits as Yoko and Kagome had to practically hold each other up. "So..." he turned to them. "I think we should try that next." Kuronue pointed to the tallest, most deadly, most vile mother of all roller coasters.

Yoko fainted, while Kagome ran for another trash can.

Kuronue smirked. He was happy! Then he was sad when he realized he didn't have a riding buddy. He ran off and quickly found the little girl from before and he was happy once again! Of course he became unhappy when she asked if he was a witch. He then asked her if he said yes would she ride the rides with him. She had told him yes...if he could do a witches trick. He was happy yet again...until he realized he didn't know any witches tricks...then he was very sad. When nobody was looking, of course they wouldn't have seen him anyway as he was one of the Makai's greatest and most handsomest of all bandits, he swiped a broom from a maintenance person and used his wings to make it look like he was flying, scaring most of the people away but succeeding in his quest to find a riding buddy! So as you can probably guess Kuronue became extremely happy...until he saw the wait for the line, to which he almost cried tears of agony. Then he became tremendously happy when the line moved...and then sad when the line barely moved a foot. And so after many bouts of bipolar emotions, Kuronue and the little girl finally, finally made it to the front of the line...only to be told that the park was closing and the line was closed! Of course Kuronue's bipolar disorder shot through the roof as he became really, very, extremely, emotionally...**ANGRY**! That's when the little girl got angry and demanded that they let them ride the ride because if the little operator didn't want to die, he should back down or let the witch boil him in her stew. Kuronue was happy again until he heard the witch part. But nevertheless little girls can be quite scary when they don't get their way...so the operator 'generously' wished them a pleasant night and let them have the whole ride to themselves. Kuronue was happy!

Which leads us to now as Kuronue met back up with his mate and best friend, only to find them slumped together on a park bench, arms wrapped around each other. And although Kuronue might have thought the picture was certainly very cute, he just couldn't contain his excitement anymore and knew Yoko and Kagome would want to hear all about his day. So he did the only thing a witch, I mean a bat demon, would do in that situation. He picked them both up and carried them back to the tallest, most deadliest, most evil mother of all roller coasters and demanded the operator let his two 'friends' ride the rids as they were so excited about all the others that they wanted to save the best for last.

When the operator pointed out that his two 'friends' were sleeping, Kuronue waved him away, telling him that their eyes were simply permanently sewed shut due to a horrible eyes surgery gone bad, which made him think of Yomi, that cursed bastard that always tried to take over his place as Yoko's bitch, I mean second in command, and strapped his two friends in. Grinning broadly he shut his eyes just as the empty cars dove over the side.

Ah, he must remember to thank Kagome later.

* * *

And there you have it? Wasn't that just the craziest adventure yet? Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this, at least all you dedicated viewers. And for the ones who haven't read any of my stories, well come in into the world of ME! Anyway see ya'll later.

Ja ne

Kura-kun's-lovr


	4. Good Morning Beautiful

All right! I'm rereleasing this ficcie because apparently the site manager or whoever is in charge some how got it in my head that I proclaimed this song as mine, like I'm the artist or I wrote the damn thing. As a result I've been on probation for a whole week whereas you people must be wondering what on earth happened to me to cause me to disappear off the face of the earth. Well, blaim the site because it is beginning to piss me off. I have never once claimed something as mine and I am highly offended by what they said to me and just taking it away and not letting me update. I'm sorry about this because this time my updating really wasn't my fault. Anyway I hope you people won't mind reading this a second time since it seemed like everyone liked it the first time around. Not that I would remembered...seeing as how they erased it! Any who thanks for listening to me rant, I'm sure some of you have had the same type of promlems. Oh well, hope you like this...again.

Disclaimer: I **don't own the song Good Morning Beautiful** and I'm **not the artist**. I also **don't own** Kurama or Kagome, sadly because I would never let them survive without each other.

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"Good Morning Beautiful" 

The sun spilled in through the crisp white curtains, blanketing a young woman snuggled closer to her lover, her soft even breathing washing across his abs as both man and woman lay content in their sleep. Upon the massive bed, bodies lay entwined and arms curled around each other, the couple sleeping so close together that it was impossible to speculate where one body began and the other ended. Red and black hair meshed together creating a curtain of warmth surrounding their naked flesh and covering their heated skin.

The woman's head lay pillowed on the man's chest, her arm thrown securely over his chest, as if to reassure her that this wasn't a dream and that they were finally together after all this time of dancing around each other. They were finally where they wanted to be and this was where they were going to stay.

_Good morning beautiful, _

_How was your night?_

_Mine was wonderful _

_With you by my side._

Kurama's eyes flickered, opening once and then closing, hiding glorious emerald orbs behind thick, silvery black lashes. His body fought the morning with a vengeance and he sighed when he felt the reassuring warmth of the woman curled so desperately beside him. His arm was around her and she lay tucked securely against his side, face burrowed in the warm expanse of his exposed chest. He could feel the soft curls of her glorious raven hair brushing against his chest, sending shivers up his spine, as well as smellher fresh scent of roses, spring, and honey, emanating from her luscious body. Her sooty eyelashes brushed against his ribs, causing a ripple of goose bumps to wash over his skin, eliciting a slight gasp of appreciation.

Shifting slightly, Kurama finally forced his eyes open and turned to gaze upon his beautiful mate still deep in sleep, lips formed into a gentle, peaceful smile as she nuzzled into him affectionately. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander over her milky white features and inky blue-black hair, admiring his pretty lover as she curled herself against his side. Even in her sleep she was a glorious creature, a nymph created by the gods themselves and sent to drive him completely insane with love. And the best part about it...she was all his.

_And when I open my eyes _

_And see your sweet face_

_It's a good morning,_

_Beautiful day._

Her body was so much smaller than his, but she had always fiteffortlessly in his arms. He could feel the warm flesh of her thigh as it rubbed in between his legs and his eyes warmed even more as he continued watching his sleepingangel.

He lifted one of his arms and gently traced the line of her jaw all the way down to the slope of her neck and shoulders, pleased when she let out a little mew of pleasure in her sleep.

Kurama let a small, amused smile flit across his lips as he continued gazing in awe of her splendor. It seems even in her sleep, she was affected by him. He would tease her about this later. But for now, he was content to simply watch her sleep.

His lips curled into a gentle smile as he gazed down at the only person who was ever privileged to see such a smile, enjoying the peacefulness of the morning, wondering how it was such a creature as her, had managed to ensnare his heart where so many others had failed.

There was just something about her that had both allured and attracted him to her, the moment he first laid eyes on her sweet face. She'd been so shy, sweet, and beautiful standing up there in front of his class room, looking around with such a nervous look on her face that all he wanted to do was shelter her away from the rest of the world and keep her safe always.

Who knew that underneath all that angelic holiness was a lioness waiting to escape? She had an incredible body and a mind equally as sharp as his. She had wisdom and an almost other worldly quality about her and before he knew it he was head over heels in love with the woman.

She was so beautiful, his sleeping angel, and he wanted nothing more than to lay there and stare at her all day. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, he knew she was special. She was pure and kind and always had a smile on her face, especially when she looked at him, and she always carried an extraspecial sparkle in her blue gems whenever she looked at him or smiled.

_I couldn't see the light._

_I didn't know day from night._

_I had no reason to care._

He'd never really realized how lonely he was until she came into his life. Before her he spent most of his days alone, never imagining he could find a lover so strong and so devoted to him and only him. All those girls in his fan club couldn't hold a candle to his pretty female.They would never be able to fill the void in his heart. But somehow, this pretty filly had him completely under her control. She healed his heart and gave him so many things he never believed he would or could possess. She gave him a family, a lover, and a place to call home.

He placed his hand on her belly, gently tracing the flat angle, knowing that soon her belly would swell ripe with his children. He couldn't wait until she glowed with maternal love for her children, the children he would help to create. And he knew without a doubt she would be a wonderful mother.

_But since you came along_

_I can face the dawn,_

'_Cause I know you'll be there._

Kurama was still staring down at her when her eyes began blinking and her breathing accelerated, indicating that she was finally waking. He smiled down at her, waiting for her to open her eyes so he could greet her properly.

Kagome sighed and purred happily in her sleep, relishing the feel of her handsome lover as she tried to squirm even closer to his body heat. She could feel his warm hands running soothingly over her whole body and she tried to sink even deeper into his touch. One of his hands drifted down to rub lightly over her butt, thigh, and stomach, causing her to arch into his hold and moan at the bold contact his hand created.

She thought about smacking him when he chuckled ever so slightly, but figured she would just lay there and enjoy the feel of his warm, masculine body and evil, yet seductive hands. There would be time enough for punishing him later, though she knew he would enjoy it. She heard his greeting and had to blink away the tears at his sweet words. "Good morning, my beautiful angel. Did you sleep well?"

_Good morning beautiful,_

_How was your night?_

_Mine was wonderful _

_With you by my side_

Now half awake she lifted her right arm, which had been around his stomach, and ran a bold hand through his ruby locks, smiling even more when she felt him lean into her touch as her fingers traced his cheek. She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "I slept perfect with you by my side." Her fingers raced across his forehead brushing away the soft bangs she knew to be falling into his eyes, warmed even more when she heard his answering sound of delight and pleasure. Suddenly she felt his arms still and could feel her body being pushed onto her back as his warm body came to settle neatly on top of her's.

For a long while they lay there entwined, enjoying the calm surrender of morning. Finally the taste and feel of him became not enough and Kagome couldn't wait to finally lay her eyes on her magnificent lover. Her eyes finally opened when she could no longer bear to keep them closed, only to come into direct contact with Kurama's intense bed room eyes.

_And when I open my eyes_

_And see your sweet face_

_It's a good morning _

_Beautiful day._

His eyes were hooded and clouded with a certain lust that was always beneath the surface whenever he looked at her. She had barely lifted her head when he leaned down and slanted his lips across her's, causing her to gasp at the sudden contact. Drawing him even closer still she pulled him down on top of her, running her hands over his back, buttocks, and sides, anywhere she could reach, taking in her fill.

He drew away after a few moments and grinned down at her. "Good morning, Kagome," he whispered again, loving the sounds she made when she fell into his touch.

She sighed and smiled back. "It is, isn't?" She whispered back, knowing that she would never grow tired of having him wake her up this way. His body caught the light of the glowing sun and she allowed her eyes to travel over every magnificent piece of flesh she could find. He looked so elegant and gorgeous and utterly adorable with his long red hair seeping over his shoulders and spilling onto her chest. His bangs fell into his eyes giving him an almost boyish look. She couldn't help but lean up and kiss him again, drawing away after a few delicious moments.

For a long while she just lay under him, staring into his warm, heavenly eyes, realizing that she would never be alone again. She had found her light in this world. He made her happy, happier than she ever believed she could or deserved to be. Now, on those cold, rainy days, she would have a warm body to snuggle up to, instead of having to face the rain alone. Kurama was her sun and her whole reason for living.

_I never worry_

_If it's raining outside._

'_Cause in here with you girl,_

_The sun always shines._

It had started out innocently enough, shy flirtation, easy laughter, and warm smiles. But soon, their relationship escalated from hand holding and soft kisses, to warm caresses, searching hands, and lust-filled kisses, until she'd finally given him something she'd never given to anyone else; her virginity and her complete surrender.

He was her love, her life, and her best friend all rolled into one package. And now, he was her lover and mate. Together they would create their own home and raise their own children.

She was now his mate and would be forever more. She had promised him eternity and been promised the same in return. Kagome's eyes were soft and loving as she finally came back to herself.

_Good morning beautiful,_

_How was your night?_

_Mine was wonderful_

_With you by my side._

Suddenly Kurama found himself on his back with his pretty lover situated above him, grinning down at him, her eyes soft with love and the sweet beginnings of lust. "You know what Kurama?" She leaned down and whispered in his ear, nipping lightly at the shell.

His arms wrapped around her waist, anchoring her tightly against his naked chest, the sheet slipping further down her body, allowing him to see the tips of her breasts pressed so intimately against his chest. "What's that, Kagome?" He whispered back, gazing into her ocean blue eyes.

"I think its going to be a beautiful day."

Kurama blinked and brushed her ebony hair away from her face and returned the smile. "Yes," Kurama whispered. "I believe you're right."

The couple spent the rest of the day alternating between making love, talking about anything and everything they could think of, and just enjoying being able to cuddle and be with each other.

_And when I open my eyes_

_And see your sweet face_

_It's a good morning _

_Beautiful day._

And you know? Kagome was right. It was a beautiful day.

_Good morning, beautiful day._

_

* * *

_

Well, how was reading it through a second time? And for those of you reading this one shot for the first time, I do hope you thought it was something worthy of your time.

Ja ne

Kura-kun's-lovr


	5. One Boy, One Girl

Konnichi wa minna! Yep, its me. Don't worry I'm still typing up all your favorites but in the mean time I thought I'd just give you guys a little taste of a Kurama/Kagome. It's short, sweet, and utterly adorable and I hope it will keep you occupied until I can update some more of my stories. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. The song "One Boy, One Girl" belongs to Collin Raye. Once again I DO NOT own this song.

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"One boy, One Girl" 

He was lonely; though he wasn't about to admit that to anyone but himself. And he most assuredly wasn't going to tell Keiko that. His best friend's wife, or mate in demon terms, had just walked into _his _house, had sat down at _his _table, had eaten _his_ food and then proceeded to inform him that he was going on a date...whether he liked it or not. For a moment he debated whether or not to kill her, strike her where she sat. He could make it quick and painless, in fact it would be over before she even knew his death tree was there. But judging by the condemning look in the ex-detective's narrowed brown eyes, that wouldn't go over well with Yusuke. Plus there were those four monsters, Yusuke and Keiko liked to called children, for Yusuke to deal with. If Keiko was gone it wouldn't be long before Yusuke went insane from having to watch over those little brats.

Kurama simply blinked innocently and tried to ignore Yusuke's chuckling as he sat next to his wife at the dinner table. The two currently sat across from a stunned looking Kurama while four little brats ate at a smaller table chattering incoherently as all small children do. Kurama inwardly realized his mouth was gaping exactly like Yusuke's spawn and he shut his jaw with an audible snap. He was not going to act like a child, no matter how ridiculous a suggestion this was. Unfortunately for Kurama, this was not a suggestion, but a command, given to him by one of the most domineering women he'd ever had the displeasure of meeting.

"Come on, Kurama," Keiko insisted. "She's very nice, I just know you'll love her."

Kurama simply blinked and tried to look innocent while thinking, _what on Inari's earth made me invite those two over for dinner...today?_ "Interesting," he finally commented after clearing the fogginess out of his over stuffed head. He began picking at his food, something he would normally consider improper. But today, Kurama concluded, he could be as improper as he wanted. "And how did you come about this...(_absurd)_...interesting conclusion?"

The steely look in Keiko's eyes had Kurama's hackles up and he squared his shoulders, inwardly preparing for battle. When it came right down to it, Keiko could be just as cutthroat as he, himself, oh he'd never once envied Yusuke for landing that wench. He didn't know how Yusuke had survived without getting brain damage from all those hits to the head Keiko bestowed upon the brash detective. But he did not want to do this. He did not want to go on some stupid date with a squealing girl. He'd had enough of girls in high school and even in college to last him another life time. Admittedly the women in college were a teeny bit better, but not by much if you consider having women try to sleep with you, rather than simply date you. After all it was extremely unlikely that he'd find a woman in this world. Mating with a demoness was one thing, but humans were another species all together. Besides, he'd already gone 1000 years without a mate, so what was another few hundred years? The great Yoko Kurama did not need a mate, even if he was willing to admit (to himself) that he could use _some_ companionship.

His insides froze when he noticed Keiko's frown transform in the blink of an eye. Kurama groaned internally as his friend's mate's eyes became soft and began to moisten pathetically. She reached across the table and laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Please, Kurama. Its just one date. I already set it up and if you don't go, Kagome will be all alone. You don't want to stand up the poor girl do you?" Her eyes stared pleadingly up at him and he had to wonder if this was how she'd conned Yusuke into giving her four children in less than six years. (The oldest, a boy, twins in the middle, both girls and complete opposites of each other, and another baby boy).

Finally he sighed as her soft words registered in his mind. No, he didn't want to leave the woman hanging, even if it was someone he didn't know. "All right," he finally conceded, albite with some reluctance. His shoulder sagged wearily. How he hated women and those damn eyes of their's.

Keiko beamed and even Yusuke looked a bit surprised, not to mention greatly amused, when Kurama acquitted. "Great!" Keiko exclaimed, reaching into her purse excitedly. She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down an address. "This is the restaurant you're going to. Your date's name is Kagome. She's very sweet so I'm sure you won't regret it."

_He finally gave in to his friend's girlfriend _

_When she said, _

"_There's someone you should meet." _

Kurama sighed as he sifted through the crowd of the café he was currently situated in. He was sitting at a tiny booth in the corner, waiting a bit impatiently for his date to arrive. Keiko had apparently set this part of the date up as well, informing the restaurant staff to seat them where they could speak in somewhat peace. Of course how much peace could one get when they were eating dinner at rush hour? The restaurant was packed and there were waiters and waitresses running every which way and that, trying to please their customers.

Kurama's eyes alternated between staring at his menu and searching the front door of the packed café. Truth be told he was a bit nervous. He hadn't been on a date in forever. The few times he'd gone were back in high school and he honestly couldn't picture a single woman's face he could remember. Of course things were different back then and he hadn't had too much time to start a relationship. He was always off somewhere aiding Yusuke in his mission to protect the Human World; attending the Dark Tournament and then the whole Sensui ordeal where Yusuke lost his life yet again, only to rise ten times more powerful...and as a demon's "son" no less. And then of course came his trip back into the Makai and running into his old second in command, Yomi, and competing in a tournament was formed from the whim of a newly crowned Toushin better known as Yusuke Urameshi.

_At a crowded restaurant way cross town_

_He waited impatiently._

If Kurama were being brutally honest he had to wonder why he'd ever left the Makai after the completion of the Makai tournament. At the time, he'd wanted to be with his family, stay with his mother as long as she permitted, and continue making sure she received all the happiness she wanted and deserved. She deserved it after raising a demon who had practically stolen her own child's life before it had a chance to live. Contrary to most beliefs Kurama was in truth both Yoko and Shuichi. Most of the time his soul was in balance, though Yoko's became more dominant when he was in battle, and Shuichi became more prominent when he was in school. He could remember all of Yoko's memories and yet he still retained all of Shuichi's memories. He was both and yet he still hadn't ever felt complete. Often he'd felt alone, which was why he was grateful for the interactions with his current friends. Meeting Yusuke had changed his life, even more so than meeting Hiei. Hiei had just been a bleak reminder of his time spent as a youko, of the harsher realities life dealt him.

But then Yusuke had come along with his youthful exuberance and brash mannerisms and his life had changed forever. Kurama had unwillingly been thrust into a position of high prestige, though many demons proclaimed him a traitor, and at first it had gone against everything he'd stood for. When he'd been Yoko he'd spent his years on the wrong side of the law, stealing and plundering, acquiring more wealth than he knew what to do with. But when he'd been forced to carry out his sentence by aiding Yusuke his whole outlook on life had changed. For the first time in his life, his human life anyway, he'd actually enjoyed living. Hunting down evil demons gave his demon side a chance to grow and use his senses, while his more human side was able to keep him calm and in careful control of even the worst moments.

And yet where was he now? His mother was still alive and married to Hatanaka. His step brother had moved out and gone onto college as well so there really was no need to look after that extension of his family anymore.

It had been two years since he'd finished his Masters Degree and he was 26. He'd naturally studied Herbology and Chemistry in college, eventually acquiring a teaching degree. He was supposed to be starting his teaching career in the fall at a high school much like the one he'd attended. His old school had offered him a job but there was no way he was going back to that place. He'd be faced with the same type of girls he'd had to put up with in high school. Hopefully his new job would give him a fresh start.

The red head subconsciously ran a hand through his neatly groomed hair as he looked towards the door. The sky was beginning to darken and Kurama was more than a little impatient by now. The girl was 15 minutes late. He wondered if maybe she was standing him up, but decided that probably wasn't the case. Keiko had told Kurama very little about her, but from what he had gleaned off the detective's wife told him this Kagome sounded like a nice woman, too sweet to even think about standing someone up.

_When she walked in_

_Their eyes met._

In fact even Yusuke had thrown in his two scents, adamant that Kurama be prepared. Prepared for what, was the question. The door opened and Kurama looked up curiously, not prepared at all for the vision that walked through it. His jaw dropped as a girl appeared, looking severely windblown and undeniably cute as she blushed and glanced around nervously.

She stood at the entrance to the restaurant wearing a simple V-neck black halter dress that somehow made her appear sophisticated in a way. Her hands were clenched around a black purse and she nervously looked around the room, her eyes sweeping past him once.

_Is that her? _He asked himself. He mentally ran over the details Keiko had told him about. _Lets see, black hair, tall, a bit skinny, blue eyes. _

His eyes widened marginally. That was his date? It had to be her, she looked exactly how Keiko described her, only he wasn't what he'd pictured at all. He froze when the girl glanced around, her eyes sweeping the dining area. Her eyes met his and then...it was all over. Frigid blue met forest green and Kurama continued staring for a wonderful, breathless moment as he unknowingly discovered his destiny.

_And they both stared. _

Kami, he was beautiful, even more beautiful than Keiko had described. She had to admit she was unprepared for what the sight of him was doing to her senses. Her friend had said this Kurama was handsome in a classical, feminine sort of way, but Kagome had no idea how on earth anyone could make the mistake of thinking this guy feminine. I mean sure he was a beautiful man with that red hair, quite an unusual shade but beautiful non the less. And those eyes, those clear, spectacular emerald eyes of his were deep and dark and filled with secrets Kagome dare not attempt to read...at least not yet. But the intense look in those soulful eyes when he looked up and spotted her was something else altogether. This man was not feminine in the least. Worst of all, he knew it. And now...so did she. His intense bedroom eyes were heated as his stare bore into her, causing her body to over heat and shake with anxious anticipation.

_Right there and then _

_Everyone else disappeared._

Kagome flushed. How long had it been since someone had made her feel like this? Probably since the first time she'd looked upon a tree older than time and spotted a young boy with puppy ears. But this was even worse than that. Her heart had long since left behind any thoughts of that boy, though she still remembered him with fondness.

She hadn't loved Inuyasha, at least she hadn't been _in_ love with him. Her feelings had blossomed into a strange puppy sort of love and had died away some years ago after her heart decided she needed to move on and leave the past behind.

And this only cinched her final conclusion on her love for Inuyasha. Sure, her heart had fluttered from time to time over the hanyou, but it was nothing compared to what it was doing now. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she was almost positive her date would over hear it as she began walking in his direction, feet moving almost without her consent.

_But one boy, one girl_

"Hello," she purred, surprised at how low and throaty her voice sounded. She was even more surprised when he practically bolted out of his chair, blushing at it seemed he temporarily forgotten his manners. That's when she noticed the way his hands were shaking and realized he was just as nervous as she was. And for some strange, unknown reason that put her mind more at ease. "You must be Shuichi, is that correct?"

_Two hearts beating wildly_

For some reason she couldn't bring herself to use his demon name. After all she didn't want to startled him. Keiko had spoken very little about this guy, though she had spoken much praise when she did. The one thing she had told Kagome was that Kurama was a demon and that she was not supposed to tell anyone. Keiko already knew about Kagome being a miko so she thought it best to warn her, lest her date become purified because of an error in judgement.

Kagome was surprised when her date blushed and she couldn't help but think he looked utterly adorable like that, ears tinted a soft pink. He shifted slightly on his feet and took her hand a bit unsurely, both gasping at the spark of awareness that swept through them both. "Yes I am, though I would prefer it if you called me Kurama. And you are Kagome?" Their eyes met again and this time they held for a series of long, drawn out moments, during which time Kagome was sure her pulsing heart would beat right out of her chest. What was this feeling? Kagome wondered as she stared up at the handsome red head, not yet ready to release his hand from her probably sweaty palm. Was she...was she in love? And why...didn't that sound so bad?

_To put it mildly _

_It was love at first sight._

All at once the spell was broken when a server rushed past them, accidentally bumping Kagome's shoulder as the woman called a hasty apology over her shoulder. Kurama released her hand and leaned down to pull out a chair for her.

"Thank you," she spoke softly, both surprised and pleased at his manners. Keiko had told her Kurama had manners, but she had to admit to not totally believing her. After all she'd spent her younger teenage years running around with a hanyou who didn't know a thing about treating someone with respect if it bit him. No the only thing biting that hanyou's thick neck was Myoga. Of course Hojo had manners as well, but back then Kagome just hadn't been interested in the poor boy, even after she'd told Hojo the truth about her unrequited feelings for him. And even then Hojo had thanked her for the truth and had left on pleasant terms. They still saw each other occasionally but as a doctor Hojo was always busy with either his patients or Ayumi, the only one of Kagome's oldest friends she actually cared about. Ayumi was a sweet girl and it hadn't taken Hojo very long to fall for her. Kagome was just glad that for once a girl actually returned the affections.

Kagome's eyes widened and she was swept away from her past when she felt Kurama's hands brush her shoulders as they left the back of her chair. She suppressed the shiver and watched as he sat elegantly in front of her, folding his hands together and observing her with calm, almost calculating eyes. For a moment they were both wondering how to get the conversation rolling, Kagome biting her lip and Kurama trying to think of something to say. Both were new to this dating thing and didn't quite know what to say to the other. And then suddenly Kurama smiled at her, making her gasp quietly under her breath.

_He smiled._

His smile emanated directly from his smokey, emerald eyes, rather than his face, though his lips were curled up and his face was soft. Kagome's heart could no longer take anymore of this. She felt his energy sing around her and knew instantly she was looking directly into the face of her future. Almost subconsciously she found herself smiling back, reaching across the table to boldly take his hand.

Kurama's own heart was racing, though not as intensely as it was before. She was just sitting there, raven black hair tumbling deliciously over her shoulders as her smoky blue eyes stared directly into his own. She was a very beautiful woman, certainly one of the most gorgeous humans he'd ever seen, though if he had to say anything about her, he found her more cute than anything. Her face was elegant, yet softened with youthful exuberance, causing her to look years younger than she actually was. Kurama mentally kicked himself for not paying as close attention to Keiko as he should have when she informed him about this woman. The only things he was able to remember were that she was 25 and she was currently attending her last year at Tokyo U attaining her Master's Degree in Ancient History. After that she also would go on to teach

_She smiled._

Kurama held back the gasp when she suddenly smiled back and reached across the table to take his hand, which he had noticed with some embarrassment, was shaking slightly. Automatically his hand stilled and his fingers curled around her own instinctively, like he'd been doing it his whole life.

And then suddenly it didn't matter to him anymore. It didn't matter that he didn't know a thing about her. The night was young, he was interested, and so, apparently, was she. He was unused to a woman being so bold with him. Not that women didn't constantly throw themselves at his feet, hoping for at least a glance in their direction. Most tried to grab him, even going so far as to pull at or steal his clothes, or they attempted to grope him in some perverted way. But no one had ever dared to simply take his hand before. He suddenly found it quite endearing and so reached across with his free hand to take her other hand, brushing his thumb softly over her white knuckles. He could tell he surprised her but she recovered soon and continued smiling as they began talking...and talking...and talking. They talked about everything they could think of, their lives, their hopes, their dreams, only pausing once to place their orders. The night flew by and before they knew it they were planning their next date.

_They knew right away._

_This was the day they'd waited for all their lives._

It was as if they were destined to meet, as if they'd been waiting to feel the other's touch their whole lives. Kagome was unlike anyone Kurama had ever met before, and Kagome thought the same of Kurama. Kagome was inwardly grateful she hadn't backed out at the last moment and Kurama was thankful that Keiko's big watery eyes had talked him into this. If she hadn't suckered him into this, Kurama would have spent his whole life never knowing a woman such as Kagome existed.

And as they sat there smiling into each other's eyes, holding each other's hand, and getting to know each other, they knew that nothing in the world mattered right now but them and this night.

_For a moment the whole world _

_Revolved around one boy, and one girl.

* * *

_

Kurama was sure he was going to pass out and blow this day for his pretty bride. He couldn't breathe as he watched her move down that aisle which seemed as long as the River Styx. She walked slowly, steadily, and with the same willowy grace his Kagome always possessed. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes were glassy, and she was smiling at him adoringly, happiness and contentedness evident from the warm glow of the aura surrounding her.

_In no time at all they were standing there_

_In the front of a little church._

Her white dress billowed out all around her, swallowing her body and making her look like a beautiful glass doll. The white veil hung over her face, though it was so sheer that Kurama could still make out his beloved's pure features and inky black lashes as she blinked her happy tears away.

Her bangs hung loosely on her forehead and her hair was styled elegantly, some of the curls slipping forward to frame her face and make her look even more angelic.

Before he knew what was happening Kagome had finally reached him and he took her hand, leading her up the small steps of the church, all eyes on the both of them as they made their way toward the priest to declare their love for each other with a simple exchange of vows.

From that point on, Kurama was unaware of anything but Kagome. His eyes locked on hers and his hand tightened around her own as he gazed lovingly at his pretty bride. She gazed back just as openly, unable to look at anything but Kurama and his kind green eyes. They were unaware or gave no reaction to anything the priest said as they continued staring at each other. All the people, their friends and family, were forgotten. All that was known was that they were in love, they were getting married and they were staring a new life together.

_Among their friends and family, _

_Repeating those sacred words._

Kurama had to blink when he realized Kagome had turned away to look at the priest to speak softly. Was that an "I do," he heard? His ears cleared and his body relaxed as she spoke her consent to marry him with such simple words. Did she know what she had just pledged? She'd pledged her life to him and only to him. Inari, did he love her...so much.

She'd said "I do," such simple words and yet they held such meaning. She was pledging her love to him, to Kurama, a being not quite human and not quite demon. She'd pledged to love him...as himself, as Yoko, as Shuichi. She'd pledged to love a demon, a once cold, ruthless bandit who had completely transformed his life for the sake of one human girl, a miko no less. She'd pledged to love him as Shuichi, the shyer and more human part of his soul. She'd accepted him, loved him whole heartedly, and that was something Kurama had been looking for his whole life. He had finally found a home, a family of his own to belong to.

_The preacher said, "son, kiss your bride."_

Looking back, he never did remember actually saying his own "I do's" because the next thing he knew the priest was smiling at him encouragingly and Kagome was turning to him with her one of a kind wedding ring firmly placed on her finger and was lifting a hand to his face to receive his kiss.

_And he raised her veil._

Kurama raised her veil, fingers brushing against the swell of her soft cheeks and rosy countenance. Inari he loved her.

Their eyes met, held, clashed, and Kurama was instantly taken back to their first meeting when he'd spotted fate walk through those café doors. How could he have known back then that she was his future, that she was the woman he would come to love with every breath he possessed in his mostly human body? How could he have known how good it felt to truly find someone he could love and receive the same love in return.

_Like the night they met_

_Time just stood still._

Kurama leaned down and covered her mouth with his own, lips automatically attaching to hers with a finesse that had been born through moments of endless stolen moments like this. And just like that night at the café, everything disappeared. He could feel her heart race, only this time his beat along to the same tune as they stood there lost in time and in their embrace, while the audience looked on in awe and happiness. Their friends and family were clapping, whistling, and some were even crying at the beauty of their expressed love for each other.

_For one boy, one girl,_

_Two hearts beating wildly._

Yusuke and Keiko exchanged amused glances as Yusuke wrapped a loving arm around his wife who held his two twins on her lap. The twins were sleeping, unaware of the festivities surrounding them, while their other two children sat on either side of their bodies.

"What did I tell you?" Yusuke whispered in her ear, smiling at the spectacle Kurama made when he didn't let up on that steamy kiss.

Keiko sighed, unwilling to admit that for once in his life, and hers, Yusuke Urameshi had been right about something. He'd been right about Kurama being lonely, he'd been right about Kagome needing someone to need her, and he'd been right that the two were absolutely perfect for each other. "All right, Yusuke, you were right," she whispered to him, trying to keep a straight face. It wouldn't do to have the boy even more boastful than he already was.

But Yusuke grinned brilliantly anyway. Kurama had never known that it was actually him that encouraged Keiko to set Kurama up with the enchanting miko. Kurama had never even suspected that Yusuke was the mastermind behind the whole thing and had actually met Kagome years before Keiko had. The two had met in high school when Yusuke had attempted to save Kagome from some thugs, only to find out she didn't need help and also that she packed a hell of a punch. They'd become casual acquaintances until he'd introduced her to Keiko. The two had naturally become best friends and eventually Yusuke and Keiko had noticed the envious look Kagome would get on her face when she watched them or other couples. Kagome had told them both about her being a miko, although it had taken them years to gain her trust to that level.

_To put it mildly_

_It was love at first sight._

Yusuke had seen Kurama one day and had decided the seclusive fox did the same thing, only he was less discreet about it. Kurama was by no means an open book, never had been and he certainly wasn't now. After all it was pretty instinctive for the fox to hide his true feelings, lest his enemies expose a weakness of some kind.

"So do you think you'll ever tell him the truth?" Keiko asked, curiously. "I seriously doubt he'll be angry."

Yusuke shrugged carelessly. Maybe one day he would. But for now, it was Kurama's day and Kurama was finally happy, something Yusuke had been waiting an eternity to see from his friend. It was about damn time the fox had something to truly call home.

_He smiled._

Kurama and Kagome had stopped kissing and had made their way down the aisle, eyes never leaving the other's face. An hour later and Kurama and Kagome were dancing their first dance as husband and wife.

"I love you, Kagome," Kurama whispered to his pretty wife as they swayed together, falling in love with her all over again when she lifted her head and smiled adoringly at him.

Kagome drew back and kissed him, licking her lips when she drew away, sighing with pleasure when he tightened his arms around her and lightly nipped her neck. "I love you, too. You have no idea how much," she whispered back.

_She smiled._

Kagome stared up at her husband feeling her heart burst within her chest at the awesome beauty of the handsome man. His red hair hung loose around his shoulders and his eyes had lost that edgy hesitation he normally carried. Instead they were open and honest and they portrayed every ounce of what he felt for her. And now he was all hers. She'd waited her whole life to find someone like him, although she never dreamed her life mate would be a demon in a human's body. It didn't bother her. It hadn't then and it didn't now. In all actuality she was glad he was a demon. She would have been unhappy had she found a normal human. Life would have been boring, mundane, and she would have spent her whole life dreaming about the future and what might have been.

_And they knew right away_

_This was the day they'd waited for all their lives._

At the reception no one could deny that Kurama and Kagome were lost in their own little world. They were barely out of each other's arms for more than a minute. When one was drawn into a conversation with a friend or family member, the other would casually drift in that direction. And when they danced, they held each other like they were each other's life line. Who knows? Maybe they were.

Of course everyone knew the couple had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity to bind themselves together in matrimony. They hadn't even been together a whole year before they fell in love, planned a wedding, and started building their life together. Their courtship had been rushed, hurried, and yet they wouldn't have changed anything about it for the world. They were in love with each other. They wanted to begin a life together and now they finally could. And nothing mattered but their love and devotion to each other.

_For a moment the whole world_

_Revolved around one boy, and one girl.

* * *

_

Kurama could barely stand it. For nearly two days his very pregnant wife had been in labor. It had started two nights before, directly at midnight. He'd rushed his panting wife immediately to the hospital where they were told that Kagome was not very far along and it could take awhile before her body was fully ready for delivery.

Kurama had spent the better part of the those hours alternating between holding her hand, watching her sleep, and even getting up to pace the hallways. Yusuke had come and gone and practically all of his friends had been through there at least once, expressing their congratulations and excitement. In fact Kurama was sure he'd felt Hiei's aura around there as well, though the stubborn demon had obviously refused to acknowledge that Kurama knew he was there.

Needless to say Kurama was a nervous wreck by now. He had no idea how Yusuke had survived this each and every time Keiko gave birth. During those times Kurama had been the calm one, speaking softly to Yusuke and calming him down.

And now everything was in reverse. He was going out of his mind with worry and he hated hearing his mate scream when a particularly painful contraction occurred.

After so long he was at his wits end. It was ever so much harder to watch his Kagome scream in pain, than to be the go-to guy who kept you calm and rational. The doctor had sent him out a few minutes ago, informing him excitedly that it was finally time. She'd sent him out with instructions to change into hospital dress. Even from out side the door he could already hear Kagome's screams and whimpers as she thrashed and shivered on the delivery bed.

Kurama stepped back into the room and was immediately assaulted by the scent of sweat, blood, and tears clogging his senses as he fought not to gag. He could smell his mate's blood and had to fight against his demon instinct to rip apart the doctors who he knew weren't hurting her in any way, shape, or form.

She screamed and groaned in pain shoulders rising up on the bed and Kurama raced over to her side, taking her hand and trying to sooth her as she fought against the pain racking her lower regions. Her eyes were shut tight and her teeth were gritted as she fought against the terrible pressure in her lower abdomen.

"K-Kurama," she gasped upon feeling his energy and hand in her own. She sounded scared and utterly exhausted and Kurama took a deep breath when Kagome's eyes opened as the contraction passed.

"Ssh," he soothed, reaching out and brushing back her sweaty bangs. He helped her sit up and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she sobbed incoherently. "I'm right here. It's okay, you're all right." He continued whispering to her as her body shook and she took comfort in her husband's strong arms.

"I'm scared," she finally whispered to him and Kurama could see the truth reflected in her eyes.

His hand came up to caress her face which he turned so he could look into her eyes. "You'll be fine," he assured her patiently. "You're doing wonderful already."

She chuckled a bit dryly and shot him a look that didn't appear quite sane. "You're only saying that because you're not the one lying here trying to squeeze something the size of a watermelon out your dick!"

Kurama was a bit surprised at her crassness and he exchanged a glance with Kagome's amused Gynaecologist. "Don't worry," Sango assured him. "It's perfectly normal. After all I've been through this three times with my own husband. I can assure you he's heard much worse than anything I've heard from your wife." At that exact moment, a black haired doctor chose that moment to pop his head into the room. He looked harassed and haggard and yet he smiled at both Sango and Kagome.

"How's our girl doing?" He asked, tiredly. He obviously hadn't slept in many hours.

Sango swept her own sweat soaked bangs from her face and smiled tiredly at her husband. "She's ready. She should be ready to push in another few seconds."

Miroku smiled gently at Kagome and Kurama was inwardly glad that Kagome had such caring friends and those that could help her in this area. Both he and Kagome were new to this whole pregnancy/parenting thing as all first timers were. And Kagome had seemed amused the first time their doctor had walked in and told them what to expect for the next nine months.

Kagome had informed him afterwards that both Sango and Miroku were the reincarnations of her former allies, who, surprisingly retained some memories of their former lives.

Kagome began to groan and thrash about as the pain in her lower regions reached an all time high. Miroku left and Sango turned back to Kagome and Kurama, gritting her teeth. "You ready?" Kagome gasped as the contraction hit full force and nodded once. "Then start pushing, Kagome."

Ten minutes later and Kurama was watching with tears in his eyes as his newborn son fell into this world covered in blood and other bodily fluids he had no wish to know about. As all new fathers did he watched carefully for any noticeable defects, counting fingers and toes, and making sure the baby looked absolutely perfect. His superior sense of smell didn't pick up anything and he sighed. On the bed Kagome was crying with joy and relief as she collapsed once again and stared at Kurama, blue eyes wide and sparkling.

"My baby...what is it?" she asked and Kurama grinned at her, watching a nurse wrap the baby in a blue cloth.

"It's a boy, Kagome!" He exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. "And he's absolutely perfect."

Kagome's eyes began to fill with happy tears, and both parents protested when their baby was whisked away to the nursery to be checked over for any diseases or defects. Kurama had just kissed his wife on the forehead and assured her that the nurses would bring the baby back as soon as they determined all his son's stats, when Kagome suddenly tore away from him and moaned again.

"Kurama," she groaned, beginning to pant again. "What's happening? Something is wrong." She clenched his hand again and they both looked at the doctor expectantly

Their doctor chuckled and moved closer. "You don't have to worry," she said. "That's just the other baby."

_He was holding her hand_

_When the doctor looked up and grinned._

"_Congratulations, twins!"_

"What!"

Another half hour of agony and this time Kagome bore him a beautiful, healthy daughter. By this time Kagome had almost passed out completely and Kurama was once again shoed from the room as one nurse took the second child off to be subjugated to the same tests his newborn son had and Sango assisted in helping Kagome with the after birth.

It seemed an eternity, more like an hour, before Kurama was allowed back into the room. He'd woken up to see two nurses smile at him and walk into his wife's room, carrying two small bundles. One still wrapped in blue, the other in a soft pink. When he walked in he was surprised to see Kagome awake and sitting up holding two bundles. Kagome looked up when he entered, tears blurring her vision. She looked run down and out of energy and yet her aura was filled with maternal glee.

"Come see," she whispered to him, though he was already on his way. She held up the boy and wordlessly Kurama took him gently as a nurse showed him the proper way to hold a baby. He didn't even notice when the nurse left the room and everything fell completely silent. All he could do was stare down at this tiny miracle.

_One boy._

He gasped when the boy's eye opened to reveal a light blue, although there were already shades of green beginning to form. Instinctively, Kurama reasoned that his son would have his eye color. The tiny child had a slight sprinkling of hair and knew from the coloring that this boy would have his mother's dark locks. He smiled. His son was a perfect combination of he and his mate. His eyes couldn't look at anything but his son as he gazed in awe at the precious bundle he had created with her. Already he could feel the power emanating from his son, a bit of holy power tied in with some youki. Seems his son would have some demon powers as he grew up as well.

"Kuro," he finally spoke, startling his wife who had been gazing at her daughter with the love of a new mother.

"What?" She asked.

"His name, I think it should be Kuro."

Kagome smiled and looked at her tiny son lying so peacefully in her husband's arms. The two were just staring at each other and Kagome fought back the hormonal tears threatening to fall again. "I think it's a beautiful name," she told him honestly.

Now curious as to what his daughter looked like Kurama looked down at Kagome and noticed her eyeing him expectantly, a small smile twitching on her face as she gazed at him and his son. "Switch?" she asked suddenly and almost instantaneously Kurama found himself holding his other child, a precious baby girl.

_One girl._

Kurama gasped. Her eyes. His daughter had her eyes...or at least she would. Her eyes were a light bluish, though they were many shades lighter than Kagome's, almost a silverish in color. But he knew instinctively that her eyes would darken and become as bright as her own. She had red hair crowning her head and Kurama knew his daughter would be blessed with his hair. Once again another perfect combination of his and Kagome's love.

"Her name is Kura," Kagome spoke, voice soft as her son had fallen asleep on her breast bone.

Kagome glanced at Kagome and then looked at his daughter. Kura was a perfect name for her.

"Perfect," he told her. "They're both perfect." All at once Kurama was filled with such pride. "They're so beautiful," Kurama murmured, smiling down at his pretty wife. Kurama handed the girl back to her mother, watching as Kagome held both babies to her as if she'd practiced a million times over.

_Two hearts beating wildly._

Kagome wished her husband could feel what she was feeling right now. Kura and Kuro's hearts were beating in time together as they slept peacefully in her arms. Her two precious children. This was her ultimate miracle. She'd seen destruction at its worst and now she was seeing creation instead of devastation, life instead of death. Screw the Shikon jewel, these two precious bundles she held were more precious than any stupid jewel. She'd choose her children over a thousand Shikon jewels any day.

After so long and waiting for so many months they were finally here. Kagome had been waiting an eternity to become pregnant. She and Kurama had almost given up hope until Kagome had collapsed one day at school and was rushed to the hospital. She had been over joyed and overwhelmed when her husband had burst through the hospital doors as if the flames of hell were chasing after him.

_To put it mildly_

_It was love at first sight._

It had taken him several minutes before he was calm enough for her to tell him the news.

"Thank you," Kurama suddenly whispered to her and Kagome raised her head a bit confused.

_He smiled. _

"For what," she asked him, curiously. She was surprised when he leaned over and kissed her soundly, expressing joy, gratitude, and relief all in one magnificent blow.

_She smiled._

He released her and smiled lovingly. "For everything; for loving me, for accepting me, for becoming my wife, my mate, my soul mate. For blessing me with a beautiful son and a gorgeous daughter and a life that I never thought possible."

In a moment of pure clarity, Kagome knew this was exactly what she had been waiting for her whole life. Happiness, love, joy, contentment, relief at never having to go through the burden of life alone. For now she had a husband, a mate, a soul mate, like Kurama had thanked her for.

_And they knew right away_

_This was the day, they'd waited for all their lives._

Kagome fell asleep that night dreaming about her mate and kits while Kurama stayed at the hospital waiting for friends and family to show up and express their congratulations. Kurama watched with anxiety as Kuro and Kura were passed around the hallway from one person to the next. His mother and Kagome's mother were both cooing and making baby faces at his two children as they observed their new world. Kurama wondered what his mother would say if he told her he remembered exactly what happened on the day of his birth.

Kurama was exhausted by the time night began to ebb away into morning and Yusuke was the last one still there. He went to go back into his mate's room when he backed out and stopped Yusuke as he was about to depart. "Yusuke," he called, holding both children expertly in his arms.

"Hm?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow, turning away from the elevator buttons he was pushing with frustration. He suppressed a smile of amusement at the way Kurama was already fitting in to fatherhood.

Kurama approached him slowly. "I never thanked you, did I?"

"For what, Kurama?" Yusuke blinked innocently, though the shrewd look the detective threw at him was enough to convince Kurama, the ex-detective knew exactly what he was talking about.

Kurama inwardly rolled his eyes. "Don't play coy with me, Yusuke, I can see right through you." he stated firmly, although their was a playful edge to his voice. "I know it was you who really set me up with Kagome."

Yusuke grinned and once again patted himself on the back. "Sure, fox, whatever you want to think," he replied gruffly. "I'm just glad everything worked out for you. Later, Kurama." Yusuke walked into the elevator and winked before the doors closed.

Kurama couldn't help but smile softly as his friend disappeared. "Yes," he answered softly to no one.

Kurama walked back into Kagome's hospital room and handed Kuro to his mother to be fed, fussing a bit around Kagome's nipple before he took it in his mouth and began sucking slowly.

Kurama watched on bated breath as mother and son gazed at each other and Kagome kept brushing her delicate fingers over her equally delicate son.

_For a moment the whole world_

_Revolved around one boy, and one girl._

He smiled and turned away to situate himself in a chair, continuing to hold Kura as he performed his silent vigil watching over his family. _Yes, Yusuke, _he mentally told his friend. _Everything is absolutely perfect._

_

* * *

_

And that's that. I really, sincerely hope you like this. Its not as drippy as my other three-shot, which the third chapter should be posted some time in the next few days. Anyway hope this tides you guys over for a few days.

Let me just point out that Kura is not named after me. I didn't intend to put my name in there, in fact I hate it when writer's use themselves in fics. It was just the way it worked out, since I named their son Kuro, I just thought Kura would go perfectly.

Ja ne.

Kura


	6. Just Wait

Whew! This took me forever to write...well actually it only took me a few days. I had a really good idea and this one wasn't too hard to write actually. I had fun with it so I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Talk to ya'll later.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor YYH, nor do I own the song, "I'm Already Taken." **DO YOU HERE ME? What are you people retarded or something! Like I said, I don't own shit!**

* * *

One-shot/song-fic 

Just Wait

The little red-haired boy gulped and wrung his sweat-drenched hands, his usually immaculate posture now curbed by his childish fright as he sat slumped in his seat, eyes trained on the door and searching frantically for the prettiest girl he'd ever seen...well in all his few years of life. He wasn't sure what it was he felt for her, after all he was only 8, what did he know about girls? The only thing he knew about this particular one, was that she was his breath of sunshine in a sea of dark clouds. Within her eyes, the little boy saw something he'd been searching for ever since his father died and left him with a grieving mother.

She'd been the first one to greet him when he moved here, the first to befriend him, the first to share her lunch when his depressed mother forgot to pack him something of nutritional value. Her laughter brightened his day and caused his little heart to swell with some unknown emotion.

The little boy leaned forward and rested his head on his forearms, closing his endless emerald orbs and trying to sustain his breathing. His mind paid no heed to the other children around him, some playing with each other, some quietly sitting behind their desks waiting for the teacher to begin class, while others, like Yusuke, were sleeping. The little boy's ears perked as he heard a light squeak from the front of the classroom. His head shot up, probably scaring the boy in the seat beside him from the rapid movement. But he didn't care. The red-haired boy caught sight of sheen of black hair and knew right away that she was here…finally.

The boy's mouth worked into a friendly smile, hoping to catch her eye, as a short, black-haired girl, wearing her hair in adorable pigtails, chattered away with one of her friends, a taller girl with soft brown hair and doe, brown eyes. But it was the one with the blue eyes who caught his attention. At the moment they were wide with childish jubilee as she gave her friend a welcoming hug and oh how the little boy ached to be greeted in such a way, to be accepted into those warm loving arms, the arms that he was sure would make him feel protected.

"Hi, Kurama," he heard a sweet voice call and Kurama's eyes widened as he realized he'd been staring at her. He stuttered a reply, licking his lips when he realized the two girls were staring at him curiously.

"H-hi, Kagome, h-hello Sango," he acknowledged them both, though his eyes never once left the black-haired girl, aptly named Kagome. His face flushed when they giggled at his stammering, but the object of his affection shot him a heart-warming smile and he couldn't help but grin in return. His heart raced as he reached into his desk and pulled out a little slip of paper he was planning on giving to his special friend today. His green eyes flickered to the lettering and wondered if he was doing the right thing. What would happen when he gave it to her; would she accept him or deny his feelings? He wondered if his heart would shatter at that moment or if the pain would linger for decades.

_My little third grade hand wrote, "I love you"_

_On a note of yellow paper,_

_And sent it to the front of the room_

_To a little blonde-haired girl._

Almost without thinking, his hand began reaching forward, fingers outstretched and searching. Wordlessly, he tapped the little girl on the shoulder and was greeted by warm, ocean blue eyes that grew puzzled as he handed her the small sheet of note-book paper he'd ruthlessly torn from his notebook before he could chicken out. The little girl's eyes crossed cutely as she gazed at the piece of harmless paper, then widened as she bit her lip and took the note from him, a pretty blush beginning to swell along her cheekbones. He watched in nervous anticipation as she read the note and her face flushed with more than a few emotions. He couldn't read them all…but he was sure he didn't like most of them.

There was, dare he say it, awe (he liked the awe) and maybe a little pity (he did not like the pity). The awe hit him hard. Did she really not know if his feelings? Did she not see the way he acted around her? Even her best friend and some of the other kids in the class already suspected him of his little crush.

But it was the pity he saw in her face when she glanced up at him before her eyes flickered to the right and landed on a boy with silver hair, currently blowing spit wads at other classmates. When the silver-haired boy caught her staring, he smirked arrogantly and leaned over her desk, pulling on one of her pigtails, making her squeak in surprise. The pretty girl only became prettier as she protested loudly at the other boy's playful attitude, and Kurama saw it all; the blush that appeared when she giggled, the shyness when she teasingly slapped him back. It was the smile that graced her face and the look of utter adoration in her eyes when she looked at the other boy that broke Kurama's fragile, little heart.

_The blonde-haired girl just opened it,_

_And read it to herself._

_I was so embarrassed _

_When she turned around and said._

Kurama was so ashamed when a sheen of watery moisture began rising in his crystal depths. His arm came up to rub at his face, trying fruitlessly to hide behind what looked like a normal gesture. His red hair swept over his brow, cooling the heated flesh and hiding his feelings behind a curtain of self-pity. He tried like hell to push the rain back and resist the feelings of hurt and pain that rose within him. Already the regret had swept away all other emotions, causing his eyes to sting and his breathing to well in intensity. He never should have given her that note. Heck, just being her friend was better than being a lost cause.

He looked up when he noticed the silver-haired boy had gone back to his fun time, now completely ignoring the black-haired girl at his side when she tried to converse with him again. Kurama felt a flash of hot anger at the other boy. _Inuyasha _didn't deserve any of the attention the sweet girl was paying him. The boy was loud and brash and just plain mean. He pushed others on the playground, he got in fights with other students as well as some teachers and yet, how did a heathen like _Inuyasha _manage to capture the attention of the pure heart of Kagome Higurashi? Why couldn't Kagome look at him that way? Why didn't she blush whenever she looked at him?

All at once the feelings of self-loathing and severe anger at another seemed to melt away into a calm, sort of acceptance. If the silver-haired boy made her happy, who was he to stand in her way? After all what he really wanted was her happiness, even at the cost of his own heart.

"Kurama?"

The red-haired boy looked up through his bangs, barely missing the sympathetic smile on the other girl's face as she shook her head in pity and turned to face the front of the room where the teacher was beginning to make her debut. He shook his head, wondering why the blue-eyed darling couldn't see his feelings when her best friend had noticed it practically from the first day of school. Yes, Sango was sharp, that one. "Y-yes?" He tried to smile, but it came out as an awkward, lopsided twist of his lips.

He was prepared for the rejection, the sadness and even the pity. But he was not prepared for the slight flicker of doubt and reluctance that fell across the little girl's face as she spoke the words Kurama would remember for the rest of his life.

"_I'm already taken_

_You spoke up too late_

_I love somebody else,_

_So you'll just have to wait."_

She turned away when the teacher began class, but the boy doubted he heard a word spoken to him all day. The words she had spoken had given him a fierce empowerment. He would wait several life times, just to hear her return the feelings already echoed deep within his soul. And so, without another thought to the painful emotions that came from being rejected by your first crush, the little boy buried his feelings deep within his soul and waited for the day she would finally be his, the day she would finally return his long-lost, but not forgotten feelings.

* * *

And so, years went by and the little boy grew up year by year; growing taller, filling out, and becoming a young teenager. The young man had taken to letting his hair fun as free as himself, always flowing elegantly down his back. His eyes were brighter than before as most of the sadness from childhood had been cleared away and replaced by newer, happier memories. The death of his father was now just a bitter ache, a void his mother now filled with kindness, love, and devotion. Now they could both look back on his father with fond memories and hold no regrets whatsoever about the way life had progressed. The teenager now had many good friends, as well as more than a few acquaintances. Girls had started taking notice of him, almost from the moment he'd had his first growth spurt, yet he paid them no mind. No, the only girl who had ever and would ever occupy his mind and heart was one black-haired girl, whose image refused to leave him alone for more than a few days. 

_The years flew by so quickly_

_And there we were in junior high._

He wasn't the only one who had gone through changes, though. His young friend grew into an even prettier teenager, though she was still petite in appearance. Her long black hair, once held in adorable pigtails, was as long as his, though now it was replaced by a single pony tail that kept her hair neat and tidy, showing off her blossoming features. And, much to his ire and serious regret, her feelings never seemed to change for him. She still treated him as a friend-figure, someone to talk to and keep company with…but never to date.

It irked the young man some times, how his friend had been able to put the past behind her. She never became one of those girls who shied away from a boy because she was afraid to face said boy's feelings. Instead she continued to treat him the same as always…as a friend, a best friend. Often times she would show up at his home and drag him off to school, always greeting him with that same, special smile of hers and that quick toss of her hair when he would comment on how long it was getting. Of course she blushed at his compliments, she always did, but it was always in a naïve sort of way since he wasn't the only one who complimented her these days.

It was on one of those early mornings that the red-haired boy's feelings just could not be sequestered any longer. He'd been walking beside her, listening contentedly as she talked about some funny thing her new-born brother had done that morning. And although he heard the words she spoke, his mind just could not stay focused. Instead he found his eyes shamelessly wandering over her maturing body, wondering what it would be like to kiss her or hug her…without the restraints of friendship. His old fears were still present, but there was a confidence now that reminded him that he had already been rejected once. If she rejected him again, he would continue to wait. As per usual, the duo had parted ways, promising to meet up after school so they could walk home together.

_I realized that I still loved her so._

And for once, instead of concentrating on his studies taking careful notes and listening to his teachers drone on for hours, the red-haired teenager allowed his feelings to remain on the front runner. He spent several hours in each class ignoring his teachers and concentrating on the love that had been welling inside him since he first set eyes on the young child. Even after all this time, she still caused a stir in him different from anything he'd ever experienced before. Yep, he came to the conclusion that he was still 100 percent completely in love with Kagome Higurashi. The thought was mildly depressing and strangely exhilarating. He had expected his feelings to die down after awhile; after all he was only a child when he first met his friend. But instead, although he kept them buried deep in the secrets of his heart, the feelings had continued to grow and fester until he was ready to burst.

And because he didn't exactly know how to deal with his emotions, for the first time in his life, Kurama stood her up. Instead, the red-haired boy sat in a tree and watched as the girl exited the school and sat down on a bench to wait. Kurama continued to watch her as her smile slipped, becoming more forced and slightly confused as she kept glancing at her watch.

Finally she just shook her head and began walking home, all the while lost in thought as he, unknowing to her, trailed after her. He was surprised at the amount of hurt she displayed and mentally reminded himself to call her later and apologize. He never meant to hurt her feelings, he just wanted some time to think. He realized it was slightly cowardly not to even make up a lie so she didn't feel neglected or deserted, but he just didn't know how he could ever look into her sweet face and feed her false information.

_So I called her up and told her_

_Exactly how I felt._

_Then she said, "There's something, _

_That you really ought to know."_

After school, he immediately dialed her number, heart on his sleeve and dangerously close to causing his body to implode, no doubt some form of spontaneous combustion, as he waited for someone to pick up. It rang and rang and he almost lost hope and hung up when a slightly older version of his young love's voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Higurashi?" Kurama asked.

"Oh, is that you Kurama?" She asked sweetly and Kurama relaxed a bit, warmed by the odd comfort Kagome's mother always caused.

"Yes, it is…um, may I speak to Kagome please?" His voice cracked a bit, both by nerves and by his coming of age, and the older woman gave a soft chuckle.

"Of course you may," she answered. "Tell your mother I said hello."

The red-haired teenager was so nervous he didn't even realize he had nodded instead of answering out loud. But his friend's mother disregarded his silence and handed over the phone.

"Hello?" The other teenager's voice sounded slightly husky and out of breath. Kurama wondered if she ran to get the phone. His heart swelled again, wondering if maybe she was anticipating his call. And yet, suddenly he lost all capacity for speech as words he rehearsed a million times over refused to leave their nest. "Uh…hello?" She asked again, this time a bit more hesitantly.

"I love you." Dead silence…well besides the loud thwack of his heart falling out of his chest. Why had he said that? Of course it was true, but why couldn't he have led up to those three crucial words, something, and anything that would help soften the blow? Oh help him; she would probably never speak to him again after this. "I, uh, I'm sorry," he apologized and was about to hang up before he heard her shout into the phone.

"No, Kurama wait! I'm, I'm flattered really. I can't tell you how much those words mean to me but…"

Here it comes.

"_I'm already taken_

_You spoke up too late_

_I love somebody else,_

_So you'll just have to wait."_

To Kurama's surprised and absolute horror, Kagome's response was no different than what it was before. She gave it to him straight, telling him that she was already in love with someone else, namely Inuyasha, the only person in the entire school Kurama was sure he would loathe for all of eternity. Of course she would still love him. The girl had always carried a torch for the taller, arrogant male; a male everyone knew was completely devoted to himself and no one else. Of course, the silver-haired boy did date a few girls here and there, even taking Kagome out a few times, but Kurama had always known the male would never commit to Kagome the way she needed someone to.

No a girl like Kagome needed to be loved and cherished beyond all reason. She needed someone who would allow her to be herself, not suppress her character when she was too loud or too out-spoken. But the black-haired teenager always had something to say and the silver-haired male was always squabbling with her, putting her down and telling her she should and could be better, than she could be queen of the school if she would just loosen up a bit and quiet down.

It made the red-haired teenager angry just thinking about it. Kagome needed someone to make her burn, not douse her fire. Her voice and passion were part of her character and to take that away from her would change who she was completely. And he loved her, loved everything about her quirky personality. And although Kurama had heard these words a thousand times over in his head, it still didn't hurt any less to hear her turn away his feelings again.

But, long after hanging up the phone and holing up in his room for several tense hours, Kurama reappeared in time for a late-night dinner with his mother, determined to wait as long as it took to finally posses the girl that stole his heart.

* * *

_So wait I did_

_And never change my love_

_For that little blonde-haired girl_

"Kiss me good night, daddy," a little voice whispered and Kurama chuckled as he swept his son into his arms, kissing his cheek noisily and laughing harder when the little boy giggled up at him adoringly and attempted to tickle him, growling like a cub. The black-haired boy pounced on his father, Kurama laughing and growling back at his adorable son. After a few minutes of huge, bear hugs and sloppy, noisy kisses, followed by several rounds of intense tickling, Kurama set his son on the bed just as his wife walked through the doorway, carrying a set up dark blue pajamas. She took one look at her husband's ruffled hair and her son's grinning face and sighed.

"Now, now you two, what did I tell you about roughhousing before bedtime?" She chided them, though the softness in both her eyes and voice, led them to believe she was not angry. The red-haired man mentally wondered what his wife would say if he repeated the words she'd spoken to him last night as he made love to her body. She'd certainly not complained about his 'roughhousing' then. Still, he shot her an amused grin, filled with promise when he kissed her on the cheek and went to stand in the doorway, watching as his beautiful wife blushed from the almost certain implications.

Even from his vantage point, the beautiful man could tell his wife was flustered and he crowed in his mind, delighted that he could cause such a stir in her body.

He continued to watch as his petite, lovely wife began stripping their son, carrying him into the bathroom for a bath. The young boy protested argumentatively until Kagome convinced him that if he wanted to be a big boy when his younger sister was born, he needed to act like one. Of course, that did not stop him from starting a water fight that quickly ended when Kagome simply tipped his head back, holding a wash cloth in front of his eyes to protect him from the water and suds, and doused his head in warm water. The boy sputtered playfully while the mother smirked at her defeat.

Kurama watched even still, eyes riveted to his woman's back side as she bent over the tub and conversed with his son, listening to the boy talk about his first day of kindergarten. He noticed the length of her hair had grown considerably since they'd been married. It now lay serenely along her curving back, stopping just below the slight curves of her round posterior. Almost immediately, his hands itched to take hold of the soft strand and run his hands through the raven locks. She would never know how much he loved stroking her hair and feeling the silky tendrils as they slipped harmlessly through his fingers at night. Most of all, he loved the way it felt when she lay stretched upon his body at night, the dark tresses meshed between his own burnished locks.

His hands itched again, this time to reach out and take her full, luscious round rump into his hands and burry his face in the cleft between her legs. He ached to hear her cry out his name and come just by the touch of his hands and tongue. He wanted to trace every line and curve of her delectable body again and again until she was too hoarse to scream out.

Kurama was having so much fun envisioning his wife in several states of undress, when he noticed she was already done with the little boy's bath. He stepped back and out of her way, surprised when she leaned over and muttered into his ear as she passed, brushing a hand along the crest of his rising libido. "Be careful koi, or you might finish without me."

Lord, that woman knew him well. Kurama took a quick, gasping breath before he embarrassed himself in front of his 5 year old son. But his eyes darkened to a piercing emerald as he continued to watch the cute sway of her hips and ass as she walked away from him, putting a bit of a seductive swing in her gait.

_Who's now the mother of _

_Our little blonde haired boy_

_Who's to out hearts so close._

_I hate to think how fast he's growing up._

Deciding it might be better to take his mind off things before he came right there in the bathroom, he followed her into his son's room, wordlessly taking his sleepy son when he was handed over. His wife began drying off the bundled boy, dressing him in his warm pajamas. Kurama kissed his son's forehead, admiring the short black hair and wondering if it would turn as dark as his wife's. Already the boy's eyes were a stunning jade green that often left other parents swept away by envy at the beauty he and his wife had created together.

Kurama kissed his son one more time, enjoying the sweet scent and light weight of his first child. He lifted his head in time to catch the small smile of love Kagome shot him when she took the child and placed him on the bed, pulling up the covers around his tiny arms and legs. Sometimes it was hard to believe he himself had ever been that small and that it was his mother tucking him in, not him tucking in his son.

"Mommy, will you read me a story?" The little boy asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Of course darling. But only a short time since you're getting sleepy."

"Not sssleepy," the little boy slurred, jade eyes half-hidden by the crescents of his eye-lids. Kurama and Kagome traded secret smiles over top his shiny head. "Which story should we read tonight?" She wondered aloud.

"A real one, a real one, mommy," the boy whispered.

"A real one?" Kagome blinked, wondering of her son's meaning.

"I want to hear how you met my daddy."

Kagome's eyes softened as she gazed at her husband, wondering why it took her as long as it did to analyze how she really felt about the man she'd grown up with. He was so handsome and perfect, it was a wonder how she'd ever attracted his attention in the first place. Her eyes moved over the soft planes and angels of his face, aware that he was looking at her. She peered into his emerald eyes, different than his sons and much deeper, more mysterious. Her heart flinched at the agony he must have endured. She'd never meant to hurt him. She just hadn't understood her feelings. She was eternally grateful for her husband's patience with her. She'd put him through hell and he still loved her as much as he had when he was a child. Only now it was an older, much more intense sort of love.

She could feel the amusement coming from her gorgeous spouse as her cheeks heated from the sudden visions that came and went as fast as they appeared…visions of the first time he had taken her, held her body and possessed her soul, touched her, stroked her, and loved her to an endless amount of orgasms. Her eyes watered and she lifted her head when she felt him lean down and swipe at her happy tears. She was so happy. She would never forgive herself for denying her feelings for so long.

Kagome opened her mouth and began speaking to her beloved child, telling him of the love she felt for his daddy, telling him stories of his daddy when _he _was a child. She told her son of the day her husband had walked into her house, told her he loved her (for the third time), asked her to marry him, and kissed her senseless. He had told her that he had loved her as a child, as an adolescent, as an adult, and now he loved her as a man. She had almost lost him when she hadn't immediately answered, her lips still tingling by the force of his lips on her own and the bells jangling off key in her mind. It was only after he walked away did she finally realize what was in her heart the entire time she'd known the sweet man.

She had always loved Kurama even when she was a child. But she had been young, full of pride, and head over heels in love with that screw-up Inuyasha. When her head had finally stopped spinning she had plunged out of her house accidentally falling and hurting her ankle in her haste to catch the boy she loved and was, at the moment, losing. Her heart, body, and soul had been in so much pain that she'd simply sat on the steps where she'd fallen from grace, crying big buckets full of tears. She had been so surprised when Kurama had rushed back to her, picked her up in his strong arms, and continued to question her a million times whether she was all right, whether she needed a doctor. He had finally stopped when she kissed him.

_Last night I over heard them_

_As she tucked him into bed_

_He said, "Mommy, will you marry me?"_

_And this is what she said._

"Mommy?" Kagome's mouth stopped moving and Kurama's head snapped up as they both came back from the past. Kurama couldn't help but love his wife even more after hearing the words she had spoken. He still couldn't believe he had finally won her heart after so long of loving her and sometimes it surprised him how much she really did love him.

"Yes, koi?" she whispered, kissing his cheek and sweeping the curling rivulets of raven hair from his milky skin.

"Will you marry me?" He whispered eyes wide and staring lovingly into her own.

Kagome chuckled and glanced up at her husband, countering his intense, bedroom eyes with a steamy look of her own. She opened her mouth and Kurama almost couldn't believe the words that answered their son's innocent question.

"_I'm already taken_

_You spoke up too late_

_I love your daddy, son,_

_So you'll just have to wait."_

She met Kurama's eyes and mouthed the words again, assuring Kurama of the love that dwelt in her heart.

"_I'm already taken_

_You spoke up too late_

_I love your daddy, son,_

_So you'll just have to wait."_

And, as their son lay sleeping beneath their bodies, Kurama and Kagome leaned forward, lips joining in a sweet, gentle kiss. Kurama pulled away when he felt something wet cross his cheek again. His eyes opened and immediately came into contact with Kagome's watery, blue orbs. The tears were falling like rain and she looked so miserably happy that it nearly broke his heart with the intensity of his emotions.

"I'm sorry, so sorry I didn't see it," she whispered.

Kurama simply smiled gently, brushing away her tears and taking her hand, pulling her up off their son's bed. Wordlessly he scooped her wondrous body into his arms, kissing her lips and being careful not to put pressure on her gently swelling stomach, a daughter yet to be born. When he drew away, Kagome found herself in their bedroom.

"I love you, now and forever," Kurama whispered to her. "If I hadn't been sure that you would return my feelings some day, I never would have waited as long as I did. You just had to learn to listen to your heart." Kurama's eyes burned into his wife's as he undressed her. Her clothes soon melted into a puddle on the floor, his quickly disappearing as well and it wasn't long before he was up and above her, sliding into her slick heat and welcoming body as her arms came up to wrap around his muscular shoulders. Only then did he speak again. "And I am very glad you did." She shivered at his husky whisper.

"I love you," Kagome whispered a thousand times that night, no longer trapped in the past, but lost in the future of her handsome husband's warm body. And when she fell asleep that night, sedated, sore, and tired from a long night of intense love-making, Kagome's mind fell asleep, envisioning the note from so long ago, the one that had started it all with three simple words.

_I love you._

_Kurama._

_

* * *

_

Well, that's it. And its new! It isn't one I've had up before so hopefully this all makes you happy. And for those of you who want to know what's going on with me and my writing, please go to my livejournal, there is important imformation about my life in general that is holding me back. Maybe that will help some of you understand why I haven't updated in awhile. But for now, see ya'll later. Oh, and this is dedicated to KageXOtome whom I haven't spoken to in a week and miss very dearly. Love you, darling, hope you get on soon!

Ja ne.

Kurakitsune


	7. Have Faith

Hey, guys! Just another one-shot that I worked on over the past two days. I thought it was time to add another and I hoped that it would be simple. Er, I guess this story doesn't really explain a lot, but there is a lot of emotional grief and stuff, so I hope you guys don't get too confused. I suppose you can make inferences into what happened, but I don't really go into much detail. Hopefully you'll all like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own INU or YYH, nor do I own this song. It is a song called "Stubborn" by Gretchen Wilson and can be found on her latest CD.

* * *

Have Faith 

One-shot

_There's a whole lot of stubborn in this room_

A broken girl sits across the room while shadows flicker and collide, creating a gloomy atmosphere which seemed to reflect the mood in the room.

_There's a whole lot of pride that won't let go_

The stormy, blue-eyed girl's misery was clearly reflected on her face, tears going unnoticed and unchecked down the pale flesh of her colorless cheeks.

_There's a whole lot of stubborn in this room_

Kagome just wanted it to stop; all the anger, all the pain, all the denial, and all the guilt and torment that clung to her soul like a blood sucking leech.

_That shows no sign of giving up control_

And yet, she knew nothing she could do or say in this moment would stop the pain she felt welling in her heart, the brutal warning that told her she would forever be alone, never again to feel the happiness she once felt in her younger years when her heart was still innocent.

_I've drawn all the curtains, I've turned out all the lights_

Angrily, and without around to see it, the once pure-hearted child threw back her head, crying shrilly into the night and leaping to her feet, slamming the windows shut and the curtains closed with a telling slam so that no one could look inside the house that was once filled with laughter and love, so that no one could look inside and see a broken girl who had only asked for love and peace, who had given her life to protect the ones that mattered most and received nothing in return.

_Scared to death somebody else might see_

Her friends no longer stopped by to make sure she was feeling better. They had all left her when she began showing signs of heavy depression. Diseases of the body they could handle or understand, but not of the mind. Even the brown-haired, doe-eyed boy that had once adored her and showered her with pure unabashed devotion had turned her away even as her heart began mourning for something real, something tangible, and for anything to anchor her sanity to.

_There's a whole lot of stubborn in this room_

The raven haired woman, clothed in little else but a gleaming white night gown, slumped down against the darkened, black walls, an exhausted and all too telling defeated look on her fragile, worried face.

_And there's no one here but me_

Kagome had saved everyone else…but at what price; to be sent back home to an abandoned house and a run-down shrine that was badly in need of repairs and attention, not to mention the God Tree that had faded away and was now left devoid and barren of all the magnificent flowers that had at one time bloomed in excess. To discover that while she was in the past, fighting to keep her second family alive, her grandfather passed away, while her little brother got into a college in America, their mother following after him since there was no one home to keep her company or help her run the family shrine that had been in their family for generations. There truly was no one here for her now, since her family was absent from her life. And it was all because her stubborn pride kept her in the past so much that she had failed to miss out on what was really important to her. She had missed her brother growing into a fine man, missed her grandfather in his final waking hours, missed the depression building on her mother's heart, and missed all of the things that her family had gone through, experienced together, but without her, as if they had simply forgotten she existed; a dream that was all but forgotten.

* * *

_There's a whole lot of demons in this room_

A young man with uncommonly red hair and sullen, moss-colored eyes and born with otherworldly looks that often put any female to shame, kneeled down in front of an open casket, head hanging low and hands braced against his thighs, desperately willing himself not to cry, not to give into the darkness threatening to overtake his mind. Friends and family surrounded him on all sides, though the young man gave no indication that he heard any of them speaking, that he gave notice to the pity and worry in their eyes or the empathy in their voices as they tried to console him in his time of grief.

_They want it all and they don't want to share_

He could hear them. **_"Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"_** Everything they were saying. **_"Poor Kurama...this is how my mother must have felt when I died."_** But he did not respond. **_"Do you think he's still alive?"_** Idiots, of course I still live_. **"Why isn't he speaking? Is he even breathing? Is there something wrong with him? Someone get a doctor!"**_A doctor? What am I, a damn vegetable? **_"Fool, he doesn't need a doctor."_ **Thanks, Hiei. **_"He needs to get over it."_** Not. **_"Hiei, that's a horrible thing to say!"_ **No doubt_. **"Hn, people die, even demons die, it is a fact of life that is unfortunate and regrettable and yet there is no doubt that he already knows that, seeing as his kitsune form saw many moons until his death."**_ Ok…so there was some truth to that, well all of it really, but Kurama was bound and determined not to give into their conversation, to tell them all off and make them go home so that he could stay here with his mother, if only to tell her goodbye in his own right. **_"But still, Hiei, his mother just died, have a little heart."_**

_There's a whole lot of demons in this room_

Kurama's face remained blank throughout the day, barely listening to the many murmurings of the friends and family who came up to speak about his beloved mother.

_And none of them believe in fightin' fair_

The voice in his head that was Yoko remained silent, adding his own silent sympathy towards his counterpart, both annoyed at the way everyone continuously fussed about him. For once he was grateful of Hiei's stoic silence, aware that even the fire apparition knew what was sacred and what was not. He also knew when it was wise to keep his mouth shut. However, Yusuke and Kuwabara continued to argue over whether he was truly all right, Kuwabara not so sure and Keiko throwing her two cents in…not that it was any of her business or anyone else's. And their argument was raising his hackles just a tad too much for his comfort. Normally he could ignore the many bickering arguments of his friends, but today he was too tense and emotional to deal with any of their crap.

_Some sit on my left, some sit on my right_

"Kurama?" Kurama perked up when he overheard a familiar voice, speaking softly in his right ear. That was his father's voice, well his stepfather's. "Kurama, would you like to speak on behalf of your mother?" All at once, Kurama fought back the wince, squeezing his eyes shut and suppressing the pain from everyone in the room. _Shut up, shut up, shut up!_ He thought. She was not his mother anymore! She was dead. And unlike him and his past life, there was nothing he could do to bring her back or give her back her life. His mind could not cope with the fact that she was truly gone from his life, knowing deep inside that he would always love her and that her memory would never be replaced. He was just so angry and bitter, that it must have startled his step father and brother when he looked up and shot them a nasty look, filled with anguish, rage, and hurt.

_They talk so loud it's hard to disagree_

Kurama's enraged growl caught everyone off guard, even his friends. He rarely let his feelings go on display but when he did, they tended to overwhelm him and spiral out of control. His head was up and his eyes were staring blankly ahead, he knew he must be scaring them shitless, but the snarl on his lips and the anger on his face, made those who knew him well realize that the boy was struggling with himself for control.

_I'm surrounded by the demons in this room_

Reality came back to him all too soon and Kurama realized what he had done, noticing the shocked and terrified glances between his father and brother. His stepbrother, Kakoda, was positively shaking, even though he was grown up enough not to let things of that nature scare him anymore. With a horrified whine unable to stop itself from bursting free from his throat, Kurama fled from the room, instantly sending the other guests into a panicked buzz, while Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, Boton, and even Hiei stared after the boy in knowing sorrow.

_And there's no one here but me_

Kurama ran with tears streaming down his cheeks, not bothering to apologize to the many pedestrians that stood in his path towards freedom. Instead, the pretty-eyed, handsome boy continued his trek down the interlocking streets, searching for some sort of salvation that might set his soul to rest. He was so tired of having to look into everyone's faces and act as if he was all right. The truth was he was not all right! He felt terrible inside and worst of all he had no way of expressing that anger and benevolence right now. He hated how everyone expected him to act how he usually did, in a calm and respectful manner. What, did everyone think he was made of stone or something? The great Shuichi Minamino aka Yoko Kurama wasn't allowed to shed a tear once in awhile or express how he was feeling? After all, everyone dealt with grief in their own way, so how was bottling it up inside and refusing to let anyone in, any different? Was he just supposed to just accept his mother's death, shrug it off as if her presence in his life held little meaning? Even now the voices in his head were growing louder and Kurama did not stop once, desperately attempting to outrace the traces of insanity that followed in his wake.

* * *

_And I can't quite remember how to pray anymore_

The woman's body screamed in pain; the flat heels of her feet that were unadorned by any type of shoe and the muscles bunching and pulling in her thighs and ankles as she tore down the busy streets of Tokyo; even her arms and chest were beginning to tire from her race against time.

_And I can't quite remember what to say anymore_

The man tripped and skidded down the sidewalk, sliding dangerously around a corner and almost plowing into a pretty girl going the opposite direction. He stopped just briefly to steady her and only then did he catch the scent of her tears and the spot the tears streaming from her water-filled eyes.

_If it turns out that I can't have my way anymore_

Kagome gave up. Her chest was heaving, her face red and streaked with the last of her tears. Her arms and legs burned and her lungs felt as if they were on fire and at last she knew she could not run anymore. And to top it off, the warm, over heated furnace she had plowed head first into was holding her so tightly in his arms and bringing her such peace and comfort, that she finally allowed herself to fall into oblivion, the Utopia she was desperately searching for.

_How will I know which way to turn when I walk out the door?_

Kurama didn't know what possessed him to allow this girl to cry on his chest, even knowing she was a stranger to him and even though he too was suffering from an unbearable grief. But his body was worn from the day's events and his mind felt about ready to cave in with the knowledge that his mother was gone and that he would never see her again…at least until his time on earth was up, something that may take many more centuries to come. His arms instead trapped her like a vice, her own, slim arms coming up to hold him just as tightly and as desperately as he was. Her eyes blinked up at him once, tears still clinging to her sooty lashes, and her lips twisted into a shy, breathtaking smile, her hands moving forward to gently hold his head when she took note of the deep depression in his fathomless eyes and bringing it to rest on her shoulder. Right then and there, Kurama caved in and released the tears that had ruthlessly been held at bay all day long. He gave into the warm comfort this stranger brought to him and he finally allowed himself the time he needed to grieve and perhaps start to heal once he was at peace with the knowledge of his mother's death.

* * *

_There's a molecule of faith in this room_

The duo must have stood for hours in the swamped streets of Tokyo, both too overwhelmed by their own grief, as well as the stranger they were clutching onto, to notice any of the people moving around them. But as time dwindled down and the sun began to sink over the horizon, both lifted their heads and locked eyes at exactly the same intense moment.

_What they used to call a mustard seed_

Kagome blinked up at the handsome man, too tired and exhausted to really examine him closely. She smiled timidly and stepped back, offering a short nod of thanks for his safety and closeness in her time of need.

_There's a molecule of faith in this room_

Kurama offered his own small smile, eyes never once leaving her pretty face. His hand came out to steady her…or perhaps just to touch her once more, just barely brushing the base of her ear. He granted her another smile before dropping his hands completely and turning his back on her. Without another word, Kurama turned away from the bewitching female and headed back in the direction he came from.

_And a book that says that's all I'll ever need_

Kagome didn't know what he'd done to her, how he managed to do what he did, but the moment his hand had touched her oh so gently, it was as if her soul had suddenly sprang back to life. The shadow that had been taking over her life was clearing; dissipating with every step the man took…even though he was walking away from her. And for some reason…it did not make her sad, watching him amble along down the street, as if he had no other care in the world. He was leaving her and yet some part of her mind warned that this was only the first of many meetings to come.

_I don't know where it is but I hope I find it soon_

Kurama could feel the strange woman's eyes following him as he walked away and out of her life. The feeling wasn't altogether unsettling, if anything it left an odd sort of reminder that she was real, that he had held a stranger in his arms and sunk into her kindness, for the first time exposing someone to what was truly in his heart. Their brief exchange was already beginning to take affect on his overburdened mind, as the suffocating depression from hours early was beginning to leave him, at least for the time being. The redhead knew that it would still take some time to get over his mother's death and yet there was some peace in the knowledge that someday his body and soul would finally be at peace with her absence.

_'Cause nothing else will ever set me free_

And just like that, she was free. The miko spun around, laughing gaily and looking nothing like the gloomy woman of before. This time when she walked, her steps were light and airy and full of confidence. She could do this; she could get over all the bad things that had occurred in her past. For some reason, that boy had touched her in ways no one else had; had comforted her even when he was a total stranger. Not even her old friends had allowed her to cry on their shoulders, never allowing her to simply let it all out. But then that boy had run straight into her, so lost in his own grief that he seemed to instantly recognize her own. And instead of casting her aside and treating her as if she were the walking disease she was rumored to be, he had steadied her on her feet, had taken her in his arms and offered her the shoulder she had previously been denied.

_There's a molecule of faith in this room_

Kurama started running. Only this time, he was not running away, he was heading straight towards the shrine where his mother's wake was taking place. This time he wanted to be there, not only for himself, but also for his grieving father and brother. He wanted to tell his mother the real story, his true past, even if she couldn't hear him any longer. He would tell her how much he loved her and how she would be missed. He would tell her of the happiness she brought to a child who was too arrogant to be human. He would tell her of his past life, even though it was gruesome and unworthy of praise from her. He would tell her everything about his life with her from the time of his birth to the last days of her life and he would tell her everyday that she was the one who had taught him that it was okay to love, to laugh, to be happy, and even to be sad. Almost without thinking, Kurama picked up the pace, bound and determined to speak to his mother one last time, to finally tell her the truth.

_And even though it's much too small to see_

Kagome started running. Only this time she was running home to her beautiful shrine where she would immediately start to work on rebuilding what was lost. She was having so much fun imaging how great the place would look that she almost didn't sense the tiny presence sitting so delicately next to her ear until it began sliding forward and off of its perch on top of her ear.

_If I have the courage to believe_

Kurama let out a tiny smile when he felt the pin prick of energy coming from the tiny present he had given to his newest puzzle. He knew she would sense it eventually, but he didn't think it would be so soon. _Be happy, _he thought, willing her to hear him. _And I will find you again._

_I'll find the one who left it here for me_

Kagome's eyes widened when a tiny seed fell into her open palm, instantly transforming into a delicate red rose the moment it touched her skin. She stood there examing the blossom curiously, before a pleased blush began creeping over her face. And then, with a small peaceful smile adorning her lips, Kagome tucked the delicate blossom behind her ear, more determined than ever to find out who her new savior was. And this time, when they bumped into each other again (as she knew fate and destiny worked in mysterious ways) he would never walk away from her life again.

* * *

Well, that's it! I think it's a beautiful song, slightly depressing, but it does tell you that there can be hope found in the simplest of things, such as a mustard seed (which is really, really tiny) or the seed of a beautiful flower. So, have faith people and work for the things that you believe in. Look for signs everywhere and allow yourself to believe that fate and destiny are yours to conquer.

Okay, one thing I should point out. I don't generally write conversations the way I did when I was writing Kurama's part of this story; you know, the part where I had a whole bunch of people speaking at once. Usually, I write conversations in proper form, but it was written that way for a reason, to make you hear what Kurama was hearing. You know how you can be sitting somewhere and be hearing many people at the same time? Well, that's what is happening with all the bolds and italics. Kurama's thoughts are the ones that are written normally.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed my new one-shot, perhaps it inspired you to hope. Um, there will be no sequel to this, unless I find a song to go along with this, but I doubt it. Any questions will be answered in my livejournal and I hope you all read and respond.

Ja ne

Kura


	8. Before I Could Run

Konnichi wa, minna! This is just my new one-shot that I've been trying to complete over the past few days. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the song, "If I Didn't Know Any Better" by Alison Krauss, nor do I own Kurama or Kagome or any characters from either show.

* * *

Before I Could Run

One-shot

"Kagome!"

_I turned around_

_Just keep walking, _Kagome told herself, covering her ears and fighting to ignore the pull in her body and the whisper in her mind that told her to turn around, to face the man who currently haunted her dreams. She must have looked awkward and silly speed-walking down the street with her hands clutched over her ears, but at the moment Kagome didn't care about anything but getting away from the voice that had been her constant companion over the last few weeks.

"Kagome?"

_Oh, kami, I love how he says my name. _Kagome groaned and immediately clenched her hands into fists, losing her composure drastically. _No, don't give in, _she whispered to herself, speeding up and almost crashing into a passing stranger. _Don't let his voice get to you. Don't you dare let him in. _He was right behind her now and she could practically feel his breath on the back of her neck, his hand outstretched as he tried to touch her, to imprison her in his chains. _No, please don't touch me, Kurama. I don't want this, I don't. I don't want…you. _The nearness of his body threatened to send her own into spontaneous combustion as the chemistry that always seemed to surround the two whenever they touched, conversed, or simply looked at each other, began rising in her already overheated body. Kagome made a move to flee, but the man behind her was too quick and had already anticipated such a move. His hand was already reaching out to touch her before she could run.

_Before I could run I found you already settled down_

Kagome pulled away at the first touch of his hand on the back of her arm. But she stopped in her tracks the second his grip tightened and instead she stared straight ahead, vibrant, blue eyes wide open and a little shocked at the sudden wave of desire that swept through her, body vibrating with fear at the sudden intimacy she felt in that one simple restraining touch. He did not make a move to pull her closer, or to hurt her, he merely held onto her limp arm, not saying a word and allowing the influence of his body to get him what he wanted. Almost unwillingly, Kagome began imagining that this man was not touching her in the middle of the crowded, downtown Tokyo, but in a much darker habitat, one where reality turned into a forbidden fantasy. She imagined that she did not fight as he turned her around, pulling her against a chest that spoke of both softness and steel. His arms were still a prison and yet this was not a prison she wanted to break free from. Instead, she wanted to chain herself in his prison, Kurama's prison, and keep herself there for all eternity, worshipping this man's body and being worshipped in return. Kagome blinked and the images were gone, much to her relief. Her eyes cleared and she was left standing bereft and oddly cold, despite the heat of the late afternoon sun and despite the heat from the body behind her…despite the heat of Kurama's own eminent desire.

_In the back of my mind_

"Kagome." This time when he purred her name, Kagome whirled around, raven hair billowing out around her shoulders and framing her pouting face, succeeding in making her look like a frightened kitten. However, the sheer anger on her face and the amount of delicious energy her body was suddenly exuding caused Kurama's head to spin as he gazed down at the most passionate and frustrating woman he had ever met. It was amazing how much energy, fire, and passion she possessed and it was clear his pursuit of her was doing exactly what he had intended. Now instead of the solemn, lifeless woman who had appeared at his school like a soulless specter, she had become the embodiment of a phoenix rising from the ashes. And, Inari, was she ever glorious.

"What do you want Kurama!" She sputtered angrily, voice echoing shrilly as it boomed in all directions, startling several passersby. Her eyes burned with fire until they threatened to send his whole body bursting into flames.

"Kagome," he whispered her name this time, leaning closer and not allowing her head to move when his hand came up to burrow its way into her hair and hold her still, gentle fingers brushing the side of her face. He was surprised when the anger seemed to dissipate from her eyes, leaving behind a thin sheen of tears, causing her eyelashes to dampen. This was something Kurama had not expected. Anger and fire, he could handle, but not this deep pain emanating from her dreamy depths. "Why do you cry?" he murmured softly, releasing his hold on her hair a bit and sliding his hand down to caress the soft contours of her angel face. His thumb slid out to slide across her lips, now damp with her tears.

_I know this is just a customary feeling_

The girl hiccupped and shook her head, knowing the answers he sought lay buried in the darkest parts of her mind, the ones that always warned her that she was getting too close to someone, someone that could potentially destroy her. "Please answer me," Kurama spoke again, lifting her face and wiping her tears, smiling a smile so innocent and kind that Kagome immediately burst into uncontrollable sobs. She couldn't take it anymore. This boy, this man who had been chasing her for so long and causing her to come out of her self-secluded shell had caused her unbelievable amounts of confusion, worry, and pain. Her heart ached if only to let him in for a brief moment in time, before he forgot about her, before he found someone else to lust over and follow after, before….before she fell in love with him.

_The moon is our deceiver that will leave you running blind_

"Why do you say my name that way?" Kagome asked when she had controlled herself, although the tears continued falling silently down her stricken features.

"What way?" Kurama asked, blinking innocently.

"Like you," Kagome gulped, "care for me."

"Because I do," Kurama answered simply. "Because I do care about you."

Kagome's eyes widened and she let out a little gasp of surprise and fright. There…was no way that he had such feelings for her; her, Kagome Higurashi, little bitch of Inuyasha, who would never be good enough to attract a man of Kurama's beauty. Kagome felt her heart begin beating against her ribcage, the painful vibrations enough to send her crashing to her knees, Kurama moving with her and catching her in his strong arms as he knelt beside the shattered girl. Already her heart was weakening and her defenses were falling. She couldn't believe that someone as beautiful and as powerful as Kurama could actually have feelings for someone as weak and as pathetic as she was. Lust she could handle, but not love, not now, not after she still hadn't recovered from her previous experience.

_Your heart is pullin'_

_If I didn't know any better_

_I'd be fallin'_

_Deeper and deeper, it's true_

_I'd hear it callin'_

_If I didn't know any better_

_And I'd be in love with you._

"Please look at me," Kurama whispered to the limp, ashen-faced girl in his arms, but Kagome didn't want to. She couldn't. She would not. She shook her head and gave a grunt when Kurama unexpectedly grabbed her chin, forcibly bringing her head up enough so that he could see her. But Kagome stubbornly kept her eyes shut, not allowing Kurama to see the pretty crystal depths of the woman he was currently pursuing. If Kurama had any more patience in him, he may have found this slightly amusing, but it was way past time that Kagome learned that he was through playing her little running game. She had been hiding from his presence for way too long and it was time she got the facts straight.

_Didn't want to_

Kagome almost screamed when Kurama let got of her chin, only to grab her hair and tug her closer, placing his lips harshly onto hers. But all too quickly her brain shut down, her body taking the reigns and straining towards the body that fit so masterfully against hers. Kurama's lips were like a drug, persuasive and addicting, and even though he was half crazed with desire and half angry at her unwillingness to let him even half way into her life, the force of the kiss only spurred on her own anger and passion.

Kurama was surprised when Kagome came alive in his arms, burning hot like a livewire. Her body was pressed tightly and intimately against his own, her arms beginning to twine around his neck. Her hands crept into his hair and tugged him closer, returning the kiss just as ferociously as he was. His tongue licked across the closed crease of her mouth and that's when her eyes flashed open, meeting and connecting with him on such a powerful level that Kurama could no longer kiss her without wanting to go even further.

_Look in the eyes of the one that I would be drawn to_

When Kurama broke the kiss, body heaving at having to hold back the feelings that had been building for such a long time, it was only then that Kagome realized she was staring into his eyes, completely lost in the dark emerald of his pleading depths, lost in the being that was Kurama. He was panting heavily against her and she went to pull away when his hands tightened around her shoulders and locked her in place.

"Kurama, wha-?" Her mouth ran dry when she saw the haunting desire he had for her. It was buried to deep that she almost missed it, but what she saw scared her half to death. The spark was growing between them, only it seemed to be transforming into something different, something deeper. Yes, he wanted her, wanted her very badly, but right now the only thing he allowed himself to want was her body. He was not in love with her, not yet, seeing as his fear was so tangible she could almost taste it, but one day he could be. And that's what scared her the most. She was already half in love with him and she had tried like hell to push him away, knowing what kind of guy he was; the one that everyone wanted, the one that could do no wrong, that always came to the rescue of the defenseless female, the one that could have any girl, woman, female that he wished and for some bizarre, enigmatic reason, he had chosen to pursue her. Oh, no, he was not in love, not yet. But he was just as lost as she. And sooner or later they would both be burned.

_I'm a moth, lost in a fire_

The part of her mind that was still battling heatedly against her heart, warned her that if she fell for him now, she could never go back. This would not be like what she had with Inuyasha, something childish and purely innocent when it came to feelings. True, she had been burned very badly by Inuyasha's attempts to keep her away from him, even as he sometimes seemed to return those feelings. And that was where her worthlessness came about. She had felt the first stirrings of love in her tender, young heart, only to be turned away time and time again when it was apparent he did not want her love. How could anyone love a woman who was not worthy?

Kagome found she was unable to speak, the muscles in her jaw clamped together so tightly they began to ache. But still she could do nothing but stare at him in confused silence, as if waiting for something to happen. Her hands which had been so tightly and boldly clenched in his ruby locks, now hung loosely at her sides and she was completely unaware that she was now kneeling on the dirty streets of Tokyo, looking as if she was losing her sanity. And perhaps she was, if she was allowing herself to believe this was more than just an illusion, more than just something beautiful to pass the time, a fleeting interest…only to fade away when something new came along.

_And I know this is just a beautiful illusion_

So the question became, what did she do now? She had allowed him to kiss her, to let him touch her, and she had touched him and kissed him equally in return. And yet, now she was caught between body and mind. She already knew what her body wanted, ached for really. She wanted Kurama to touch her, to seduce her, to take her to his bed and show her all the things she had been missing out on. She wanted him to kiss her lips, her body, and every inch of satin skin that he could find and she desperately wished to do the same to him.

_A case of the confusion between love and desire._

She wanted to hold him close while he rocked against her and then inside her, taking away the only precious gift she had left to give anyone. She wanted to run her hands through his fiery hair, to touch his face and look deep inside his eyes and hear him call out her name in pleasure. She wanted to see pleasure and lust fill those seducing eyes of his, as she begged him to complete her and make her feel whole again. And more importantly she wanted to see the love swimming in his eyes, wanted to watch his eyes darken when he came and when she finally told him what was in her heart…what had always been in her heart.

_Your heart is pulling_

_If I didn't know any better_

_I'd be fallin'_

_Deeper and deeper, it's true_

_I'd hear it callin'_

_If I didn't know any better_

_And I'd be in love with you._

Kurama could not hold back anymore. He pulled her up roughly and tugged her into a dark alley where he kissed her again, pushing her up against a stone wall and forcing his body tightly onto hers. She let out a muffle squeak at his rough handling but looking back Kurama could not find it in himself to care at the moment. He had to show her, if only through body for now, how he felt about her.

Kagome stood stunned, plastered between the hard granite of the wall and the hot steel of Kurama's chest. She could not breathe or move, she simply stood there limply as Kurama's lips left hers and began rubbing up and down the planes of her face and neck, nipping and biting and seducing her without words. Almost instantly, her body began responding to his administrations, straining like a bow into his hands and body, aching with desire for him, and only him. But while her body was responding to his, her mind was still desperately holding onto that last shred of sanity. What would happen to her if she let this happen, go on in the direction that it was heading?

_When the flame burns out_

What happens, Kurama, when we don't feel like this anymore?

_And fine'ly settles down_

What happens when you lose interest in both my body and in my heart?

_And you forget I ever came around_

Will you forget me…forget I was ever a part of your world?

_Your heart is pulling_

_If I didn't know any better_

_I'd be fallin'_

_Deeper and deeper, it's true_

_I'd hear it callin'_

_If I didn't know any better_

_Than I'd be in love with you_

Kagome wasn't aware for how long they stood there in the dark alley, never noticing the darkening of the sky or the light sprinkling of rain. She registered the slight wetness of her clothes, only when Kurama drew back enough to stare at her blankly, as if deciding where to go next, what to do with her. She knew he wouldn't try to take her or force her into having sex with him. She knew he was more honorable than that, but the truth of the matter was that he did desire her. Sooner or later, his more dominant instincts would arise and he would come for her, take her in his arms, and seduce her body until her mind gave up the fight.

_I turned around_

Kagome knew that there was a distinct possibility that Kurama would some day lose interest in her. She figured that part of what attracted him to her, was the chase she had given him. He seemed to enjoy the pursuit of her and causing her emotions to flow out of control. He also was desperately attracted to her body; this was indicated by the slight bulge poking into her stomach. But for some reason, staring into his fathomless eyes, Kagome drew him back into her arms. This time she was the instigator, this time she was the one who kissed him, she was the one who touched him and caressed his body. Oh, she knew they were both playing with fire and that someone, most likely, she, would get torched, but for now she would continue on knowing that he was hers in this moment.

_Before I could run I found you already settled down_

Her body belonged to him and her mind would soon let him in. He would live and enjoy her world, learning about her and discovering why she was the way that she was. She would fall in love with him soon, if she wasn't already, and she would give into him when he asked her for more, fulfilling every fantasy she'd ever had of him.

And his body would belong to her, if only for this short time…until he discovered a new toy to play with, someone else to desire. But until then, Kagome's body sagged into his arms as both of them got lost in the other's kiss, he would remain in her heart for eternity.

_In the back of my mind_

_

* * *

_

Well, I hope you guys liked it. I got inspiration for this when I first heard the song and I immediately got started on it, though it took me awhile to finish it because I wanted to get the ending right. I still don't know if it's up to my usual standards but it's good enough to post for now. Also, I've been given a couple ideas to doing a sort of sequal to my previous one-shot so I may or may not be coming out with a new song-fic some time soon. It depends on how busy I am with my regular stories. Please read and review.

Ja ne

Kura


	9. Dare You to Move

Hi, guys! I just want you all to know I'm still diligently working on my regular stories. But I got inspired to write this one-shot after I heard the song "I Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot. And this is what came of it. I'll answer some questions and try to cover things that may need explanation. I hope you like this one-shot! Oh, and there isn't really a pairing, though their are some implications that Kagome has a mate. I just don't go into much detail since he doesn't really have anything to do with this story. This one-shot is more of a Kagome piece so I hope you're not too disappointed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the song, I simply borrowed it, just as I've borrowed Kagome and co.

* * *

"Dare You to Move"

_Welcome to the planet_.

They were all staring at her.

She was surrounded on all side, the walls closing in at a rapid pace, threatening to carry her into the sweet caress of oblivion.

She, however, was only staring at one person in particular, clutching at her bruised and bloody face with a mixture of horror and disbelief in her eyes. She was seething inwardly, aching to melt into the ground or to disappear so she didn't have to face her friends this way.

_Welcome to existence._

If she opened her eyes would they still be there? Would they still be staring at her as if she suddenly declared she had fallen in love with Naraku?

_Everyone's here..._

_everyone's here._

The weight of their combined stares caused her back to slump and her mind to cloud with anger.How could they? How could they just stand there like that and do nothing? They had to have known what he'd been doing to her, that he'd been hurting her behind their backs for months now, yelling at her and damaging her spirit every time he spat such obscenities her way. It hurt, broke her heart really, that the people who claimed to be her closest friends had never bothered to stand up for her, to never question why she was so sad all the time, or why she never smiled for real anymore. No, not one of them, had bothered to look between the scenes to discover the gritty truth.Had they ever truly cared for her? Or were they truly just there for their own petty reasons?

Did Sango only want to save her brother and then give up and die?

Did Miroku simply want his Wind Tunnel to disappear in order to continue living out his perverted tendencies without having to die?

_Everybody's watching you now._

And what about Shippo, the tiny kitsune who was like an extended part of her family? All of them were really, but it was Shippo who was closest to her heart. She glanced down at the sweet boy who looked terribly confused and afraid. He was simply too young to understand.

And Inuyasha...did he only want to destroy Naraku in order to save Kikyo and to exact revenge? Did he even need her around anymore? Did he truly think her only a shard detector?Why was he always hurting her? What made him want to break her spirit, to shed her of her innocent nature? What had finally made him cross the line from emotional abuse to that of physical? The shades of grey were beginning to overlap the black and the white. If her Inuyasha was supposed to be her protector, why did he also proceed to hurt her so?

_Everybody waits for you now._

Why were they staring at her like that? She scoffed silently. As if she ever wanted their pity in the first place. She might have wanted them to notice her condition or to help her out a little, but she certainly didn't adore the pathetic looks she was receiving at the moment.

Sango looked sympathetic, her eyes glancing back and forth between the miko and the hanyou, as if silently begging Kagome to forgive Inuyasha, to just forget all the pain and betrayal she was feeling at the moment, and instead profess the love she knew her friends had for each other (Sango's thoughts, not Kagome's).

Miroku smiled gently, comfortingly, soothingly, as if he truly understood what was going on.

Shippo stared up at her in fright. Trembling frantically in her arms, his aqua eyes shining with confusion and fear.

And Inuyasha...he was just staring at his hand, eyes still slightly rimmed with rouge coloring, probably asking himself the same question she was.

Why? Why had he hit her? What had she done to make him react in such way. And why, by Kami, did she want to scream at her friends just as loudly as Inuyasha? How could they stand there and possibly hope to understand how she was feeling in that moment?

_What happens next..._

_what happens next?_

What was she supposed to do now? Should she run away like always? Should she be cowering at his feet or begging for forgiveness? Hn, why should she ask for his forgiveness. She wasn't the one who struck out at a friend in a most uncharacteristic display...and sitting didn't count. Sitting was a fitting punishment for a puppy like Inuyasha. But hitting, physically striking a person just because you couldn't handle the tiniest bit of truth?

Where were all the friends she thought she'd made over the years? What had become of their tiny family? Was all lost to time and was she the only one who had ever felt that way about her friends? Where had it all gone wrong?

* * *

:Flashback:

Kagome was tired, her body moving sluggishly and her eyes closing even though her feet continued ambling along at a much slower pace behind the hanyou in red. Her eyes blurred and she could barely make out his white hair as she continue forward, lost in the prison of her own mind.

"Come on, Kagome, keep up you lazy human," Inuyasha growled, turning back to glare at her coldly. "We don't have all day to wait around for your puny ass. If you're too weak to last even a couple of hours, you shouldn't be here in the first place." Inuyasha turned back around, folding his arms inside the arms of his haori and continuing to lope at his own fast pace.

Miroku and Sango continued on as if their friend hadn't just insulted their entire race, Sango riding on Kirara's back, while Miroku walked beside the duo. They were too lost in their own separate worlds, dismissing their friend's comments as easily as Inuyasha flung them. They didn't even bother looking back to see if Kagome was all right, figuring the girl would get angry, she'd sit Inuyasha, and that would be it.

Kagome's face grew red with anger and she fought not to lose her temper. She had long since learned that it was useless to argue when Inuyasha was in a bad mood. And a bad mood was probably an understatement in this case. The hanyou had apparently woken up on the wrong side of the tree that morning and had awoken the humans up entirely too early. Of course Sango and Miroku were always ready to get a move on, but not Kagome. She was from the future, and as much as she was loathe to admit it, humans were lazy in her time period, prone to sleeping in to their heart's content.

But she'd managed to rouse herself enough to get ready and to slip into some comfortable clothes before Inuyasha pushed her to hurry up. She didn't even have time to eat breakfast, having to break into her beat up yellow bag several times throughout the day to grab her diminishing pile of snacks.

Shippo had been riding on her shoulders all day, sleeping for most of it, and as much as she loved the little kit, he was getting bigger and had packed on a few pounds with his growing, adolescent body.

She grew more alert when she noticed they were coming closer to Keade's village, already planning on running to the well the first chance she got and taking a much needed bath to relieve all the dirt, not to mention the tension, from her weary body. Her steps picked up and she felt Shippo move against her shoulder, his excitement getting the best of him since the miko had promised to take him to her home this time.

_I dare you to move, dare you to move._

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor._

_I dare you to move, I dare you to move_

_Like today never happened..._

_today never happened before._

"Inuyasha, I'll see you later," Kagome remarked casually, eyes still half closed with exhaustion. "I'm going home and I'll be back in a week." She called her goodbyes to Sango and Miroku, who barely waved at their departing friend.

"Hold it!" Inuyasha quickly jumped in front of the poor girl, grabbing her arms and nearly pricking her with his sharp talons. "I didn't say you could leave yet, wench. We still have jewel shards to find, you know from the jewel that _you _broke."

Kagome sighed and once again fought for patience. "Inuyasha, I'm tired and I'm cranky and I'm afraid if you don't get out of my way right now, I'm going to have to make you."

Inuyasha smirked arrogantly and puffed out his chest, letting out a barking laugh. "And what could a human do to me? I'm a demon, stupid. You couldn't stop me if you tried."

"Inuyasha," Kagome gritted. "Don't make me say it."

Inuyasha had apparently forgotten about the one trump card the priestess wielded over him not surprising because of his limited thinking abilities but his eyes narrowed in distaste. "You wouldn't."

"I would," she snarled, losing what little hold she held over her temper. "Now move." She went to step around him when the hanyou apparently lost his temper as well, grabbing her more tightly around her upper arms and not allowing her to move. It was a bold move, especially since she couldn't afford to sit him when he had a hold of her like that. She could be hurt from his weight alone if she screamed the sit command the way she currently dreamed to.Automatically, her miko powers heated her blood, forcing the hanyou to lose his grip on her, lest he want to find out just how powerful she'd become in recent months. Wouldn't he be surprised to find out someone had been training her.

Kagome smirked at him when he let her go and she grunted. "Feh, as if your puny powers could hurt me. I just let go since I didn't want to smell your stench longer than I had to. I don't even know why Kikyo seems to think you're her reincarnation when you don't smell anything like her."

"Perhaps that's because she's dead, idiot," Kagome muttered. "Of course she's going to smell like ass."

:End Flashback:

* * *

And that's when he struck, unable to handle even a minimal comment such as that one.

_Welcome to the fall-out._

That's when Inuyasha finally crossed the line and did the one thing she never thought he would. The four dripping welts across her face were testimony to Inuyasha's betrayal and no matter how she healed them, the scars on her heart would always be much worse than the ones she bore on her face.

"Kagome, I'm-."

"Save it," she murmured bitterly, unable to look him in the eye. She flinched when he moved his hand to touch her.

_Welcome to existence._

The question was, what did she do now? Did she leave, never look back? Did she go home, only to have her heart weaken enough for her to forgive him and come back to finish her quest?

She continued staring at her friends and then found herself unexpectedly looking down at her son, tilting her head to the side in a thoughtful manner, a manner that almost looked cute if it wasn't for the blood intermixing with her silent tears. Shippo stared back at her, wondering what it was he was finally seeing in her eyes.

_Redemption is here..._

_redemption is here._

His eyes widened and he saw the sudden clarity, shining in her murky depths. She was finally going to make a choice. Over the years Shippo had seen his mother-figure go back and forth with her feelings and actions. She went home in tears more often than not, only to appear weeks later, acting as if she hadn't left angry at the world. Of course he couldn't have known had bad she'd been hurting since his mother didn't often like to speak of her feelings, even to him and especially when she didn't think he would understand.

_Between who you are and who you could be._

And really, his little mind hadn't begun to process what he had seen. Had Inuyasha really slapped his mother, all because she had made one tiny snide remark about Kikyo? He continued to gaze back at her, cold fear settling in the pit of his stomach. What would she chose this time? Would she truly leave for good? Or would she eventually return...as she always did? And if she didn't, what would happen to him? Would she take him with her now or leave him all alone again? Either way she chose, this time Shippo knew her decision would be final.

_Between how it is and how it should be._

"Sango."

The demon slayer glanced up and into the eyes of the girl who had finally become a woman. Kagome was looking at her as if she'd just lost her best friend...ironic for Kagome since she felt as though she'd lost them a long time ago. Kagome's blue eyes continued to stare into the demon slayer, who had led such a harsh life, the hurt and finality almost making her want to flinch away in remorse. What had she done? Had her own pretty troubles left her so paralyzed that she hadn't realized her best friend, almost sister, was hurting, maybe even more so. Had she truly been so selfish?Finally the priestess spoke, tossing back the proverbial knife. "I hope you find your brother."

"Miroku."

Next Kagome turned her now calm blue eyes onto the silent monk, gazing at him in quiet sympathy. Her eyes traveled over his boyish features and then happened to fall on the hand wrapped in prayer beads. She was about to do something she should have done a long time ago, especially after she mastered her healing abilities. She ignored the startled looks of her friend's face and moved to the monk's side, ignoring him when he tried to jerk back his hand as she started to peel away the glove. "Ssh," she shushed him when he protested, closing her eyes and allowing her magic to remove the curse that had plagued Miroku's family for generations. Now he could live in peace. When she was done, she tore away the glove and turned her back to the monk who fainted dead away in relief and sadness; relief that he was finally free of his enormous burden, and sadness that he had taken her for granted all these years and never realized just how powerful she was.

"Shippo." She licked her dry lips nervously. She briefly recognized the shaking sensation in her arms, realizing the kitsune was scared stiff that she would leave him."Do you want to come with me? I know someone who had been waiting an especially long time to meet you."

Shippo's eyes popped open and the tears were gone in an instant. "You...want me to come with you? Really, Kagome? Who wants to meet me?" Shippo grinned shyly and twiddled his thumbs. "Can I...can I call you momma?" Her lips twisted into a small smile and she hugged the growing boy close to her body. She couldn't help but wonder how the man back in her world would take the news that she had adopted a kit, but for some reason she was pretty sure he would be ecstatic with the news.

"Of course you can," she regarded him closely. "My son."

Kagome didn't even bother glancing at the speechless hanyou.

"Kagome? Are...you coming back?" That didn't mean he didn't try to stop her again, this time with soft words and not harsh actions. She didn't have to look at him to know his snowy white ears were lying flat against his skull in guilt.

The miko stopped in her tracks, staring straight ahead before continuing on with her head held high and her nose in the air. "Good bye...Inuyasha."

She was through with him. There were no more words left to say. There was nothing he could say to redeem himself in her eyes. She would forgive him one day, she was pretty sure, but she would never truly forget either.

_I dare you to move, dare you to move._

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor._

_I dare you to move, dare you to move_

_Like today never happened..._

_today never happened._

And Kagome finally smiled. She stood up straight, clutching her backpack and balancing her son on her hip. She was determined to get through this. She was a strong woman, the mate of an even stronger demon back in her own time, although the others had no idea about her beautiful mate. She had started to tell Sango earlier, but Sango had interrupted her and gone on to speak about her brother and how they were going to save him. Kagome didn't even attempt to tell Inuyasha, knowing he how he got when it came to other males. Anyway, her mate had always told her she should walk with pride and for once she was going to heed his wise words, even if she often thought he had enough pride for the both of them.

_Maybe redemption is all a waste of time._

Kagome left the clearing, leaving all her friends behind and determined to put the past behind her as well, pausing when she noticed a particularly large demon presence off to her right. She smiled softly, lifting a hand in silent departure, and continued onward, reaching the well in record time and running a hand over the rim, knowing that this would be the last time she crossed over from this side. The hard stone felt cold and wet beneath her fingers, but she didn't care as she continued to caress the brick in revered silence.

_Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell._

This was it. This was the moment of truth. Kagome let out a true laugh of happiness, knowing she was finally doing something right. She was no longer the young teenager she once was. She was no longer running from her past, determined to lead an even better future. Her black hair caressed her face, wiping away some of the blood and causing the wounds to sting a bit, but this time her heart didn't flinch as it did earlier.

"Momma?"

"Yes, Shippo?"

"...we're never going to see our friends again, are we?"

_Where can you run to escape from yourself?_

Kagome glanced down at her son, seeing the same sadness that now echoed her own. It pained her to leave her friends in such a way and to be taking Shippo away as well but her heart just couldn't take any more abuse. This was the only way she was going to be able to get over her past. And to get over the past, you had to be willing and able to move forward. And after all this time, Kagome Higurashi was more than ready to do that...even if that meant sacrificing her old friends to do that.

_Where you gonna go..._

_where you gonna go?_

"No," she finally answered. "But, Shippo," she sat him on the lip of the well and tilted his chin up, wiping away the stray tears that kissed his cheeks. "That doesn't mean you won't dream of them always and remember them as they once were. Wherever you go and whatever you do, always keep them close to your heart. And remember that just because you're letting them go, that doesn't mean they'll ever leave your heart completely."

_Salvation is here_

"So...are you ready?" Kagome asked after a few moments of silence, allowing Shippo to remember the earth as it is now so that he would always remember what was in his heart.

"Yeah, I think so."

Kagome nodded, taking one last look around before taking a running leap into the well.

Only after the blue light faded away into nothingness and the priestess had left the past forever, a silent figure crept out of the woods, striding over to the well on powerfully built legs. The towering silver haired male peered emotionlessly down inside the well, one hand reaching out to touch the spot where the priestess previously had.

After several moments of perpetual silence, the demon muttered an incantation, effectively sealing the well forever, briefly amused that the priestess had forgotten one key detail in her quest for freedom. He knew the priestess would seal the well from her side once she arrived there, making it so she could never, nor could anyone, ever return to his world. But she had carelessly forgotten to seal it from this side, allowing it so that someone from his world could still cross into her's; someone like his idiot of a brother who he knew would try it later when he finally realized what he'd lost.

"Foolish miko," the demon murmured before turning on his heel and striding out of the woods, silver hair streaming behind him in his wake.

_I dare you to move, dare you to move_

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor._

_I dare you to move, dare you to move_

_Like today never happened..._

_today never happened..._

As for the departing miko, the next few seconds seemed to last a lifetime as she made one last journey through time, Shippo oohing and awing at the stars and heavens passing him by. It was only after she reached the other side and was swept up into someone's invading arms, that she finally realized what happened. A soft voice murmured in her ear and a strong body swept her up into even stronger embrace and she finally allowed herself to sink into the blissful world of sleep, knowing she was safe at last.

_Today never happened..._

_today never happened before._

She was finally home, this day now a memory she would never forget.

* * *

Yes, yes I know you're all going to complain and say that Kagome's friends would never treat her like that, but this is my story. And the inspiration came solely from the song, not from me wanting to make her friends seem like asses. Although I would like to add that sometimes her friends are a bit oblivious when it comes to the miko. I imagine there are times when Kagome wants someone to talk to or understand her, only to help her friends instead. No, I don't believe Inuyasha would ever hurt her, but Kagome needed a premanent reason to leave. I believe he does talk to her in a derogative manner. He does call her names and I have used nothing he hasn't called her before...except I don't think I've ever heard him compare her to Kikyo...at least out loud. He has never hurt her like that in the anime and I don't believe he ever would. However this is my story and that's the way I wrote it, so please don't send me emails telling me how out of character someone is. Anyway, I hope you guys do find yourself liking it. It's not really supposed to be sad, after all it's about picking yourself up and learning to hold your head up high like you haven't just been hurt. Let's see, I suppose Kagome's mate can be whoever you want it to be. I myself prefer Kurama, but I didn't really give him a discription so you can put whoever you want in his spot.

Well I guess that's all. I'll try to update another one of my stories tomorrow.

Ja ne

Kura


	10. For the Fall

Okay, so this isn't a song fic as most of these one-shots are, though this did come when I was listening to a song. However, the song I was listening to (Always Return by Bryan Adams-from the Spirit soundtrack) didn't exactly fit with what I wanted to do with this. I don't know how to classify this story. I suppose you could say it's alternate universe, but nevertheless it's a Yoko/Kagome. It was very fun. It came at a time when I was searching for something fun to write. I have been writing so many sad pieces lately that I haven't had any time to update anything happy. So hopefully this will cover for that. I hope you guys like this harmless piece of writing. Just enjoy it and don't try to overanalyze it for double meanings and things. It was just something fun to write. Hope you all enjoy.

* * *

For the Fall 

One-shot

This was her favorite part. The woman, who may have appeared quite insane to those who didn't know her weird quirks, grinned a silly grin, peering excitedly down at the long drop she was about to take. From all around, wide canyons seemed to branch out every where, and it almost seemed as if she was standing on top of the earth itself. And alas, it would only take but a few more steps for her tiny form to go hurtling over the edge. Laughing gaily at the spectacular canvass, the woman danced in a circle, long, pristine white flowing robes moving in time with her body's movements. By far this would be her furthest drop ever!

She couldn't wait, although for the life of her she didn't know what was holding her back this time. Perhaps it was because she was a tiny bit nervous that this time her attempt would fail and she would end up a human-sized pancake. Perhaps it was because she was simply enjoying the long moment where she could bask in the sun's heavenly glory and enjoy the warm pleasure settling over her skin like a long lost lover finally coming home. After all it had been a long time since she'd been to this particular space of private heaven. As huge and glorious as it was, Kagome couldn't help but keep this place a secret from everyone else. For this was the only place that she truly felt free and alive and so totally happy.

She probably seemed strange just standing here, arms outstretched and smiling broadly up at the puffy, cream colored clouds, but she just couldn't find it in her heart to care...even if she did have a rather intriguing puzzle following her every move.

Ah, and this _thing, _this _being, _who watched her so openly and candidly was perhaps another reason she still stood in one place, instead of taking the leap like she desperately wanted to.

The possessive eyes almost seemed to burrow into her back. Though she felt slightly uncomfortable, she did not want to alert the watcher that she knew his whereabouts...or the whereabouts of his eyes, she should say, as she felt them slip dangerously down her waist to land on her rather lush posterior. At once a dangerous smirk fell across her full, pouty pink lips, though she was sure her watcher would not be able to tell from this distance. She wondered if the man enjoyed playing with fire. He certainly was bold. She practically shivered when her seductive dance continued and her stalker's eyes stuck firmly to her swaying body. Deciding to have a little fun, Kagome humored the man a little bit, stopping the flow of her body until it barely moved, but still swayed enough to feel the enticing want, the aching need she knew she would feel from him.

In any case, this jump was certainly proving to be more intriguing and ten times more exciting then previously thought.

Thus the dancing commenced...and so did the watching.

* * *

Head quirked to the side and large silver ears pointed curiously in the silly woman's direction, an extremely attractive male kitsune sat and pondered to himself how one silly human had managed to capture his attention for so long without him getting bored and leaving. _What is that bizarre woman up to? _he asked himself, crawling higher in the trees so he could get a better view. _Some sort of ritualistic mating dance? _Because that's certainly what it looked like to him...or should he say _little him._ Yoko nearly groaned to himself, glaring childishly down at a certain portion of his anatomy, aptly named, _little him_. 

What was wrong with him? Why was he still here? Granted it had been passing curiosity that had alerted him of her presence in the first place, plus the enticing aroma she carried really called to his senses, almost begging him to come and seek out what was calling to him so. Of course next he'd stumbled across an entrancing sight. A woman, perched on the edge of a dangerous cliff and appearing as if she were ready to make the long journey to the Reikai.

What was confusing to him was that the woman was standing so dangerously close to the edge, and yet she showed absolutely no fear as she stared into nothingness. Okay, so it wasn't exactly nothingness she was looking at. The area around him was certainly quite beautiful and like all kitsunes, he did love the beauty of nature in all shapes and forms. And the woman did honestly seem happy, not depressed or anything. In fact, the smile on her face was practically radiating carefree enthusiasm when he first caught sight of her, and now he could not find it in his heart to stop watching her.

And so he watched with breathless anticipation as the woman began turning in a circle, long, so gloriously long, legs seemed to glide over the ground on slow, steady strokes and with all the seductive grace any youkai female would kill to have.

One portion of his mind argued that he should leave and never look back. The other portion, the one he listened to the most, begged, no, pleaded with him to seek her out, to find out just why the woman was grinning into her death. He was, and he wouldn't admit this to save his soul, terrified that she would fall off balance and plummet to her doom, but for some reason the woman seemed totally unafraid; which was pretty much unusual for a human since, in his experience, humans were afraid of basically anything and everything that moved. Honestly, how annoying, not to mention horribly weak. No, he wasn't prejudiced, he just didn't respect anyone, human or not, that didn't have the courage to face fear head on and instead cowered away in self-defeat.

But still...this woman, this still twirling vixen who was currently in the process of making his head spin and his tale to sway in time with her movements, seemed totally heedless to her plight.

Perhaps she was daft.

Or perhaps she was simply making peace with her life before she finally allowed it to end.

And...oh, what a sin this tiny creature before him was. Her body moved like liquid, the strange robes she wore fluttering all around her as if they were arms embracing her. He let out an almost inaudible gasp when her foot seemed to slip and before he knew it she was teetering on the edge before she righted herself and he could breathe easily again...for the moment.

* * *

Kagome didn't know how much longer she would be able to stand the waiting. By now the sun was roaring over head, the heat and the intensity of it all causing sweat to bead and pool along the crown of her forehead. The eyes still watched her, and yet with each passing moment they grew more thoughtful, as if speculating more about her reasons for being out here, then about her body, as they had been previously. 

Guiltily she allowed some of his emotions to filter through her mind barriers, unknowingly drawing him in deeper and picking up a few stray thoughts. So he too was confused as to why he was still here. _And what's this?_ She thought, before bursting out into laugher, uncaring if it startled her stalker. _He thinks I'm going to kill myself by jumping off this cliff? If only he knew..._

Deciding that she would stay and play some more, she let her body sway and begin falling. Grasping at the earth, her knees hit ground first and at once tears of repressed laughter crept into her eyes, though to him her tears probably appeared quite sad, when she felt him dart closer and then halt abruptly, as if in inner turmoil.

"Oh, woe is me!" Kagome cried out loudly, picking herself up and beginning to move closer and closer to the edge of her secret paradise. "He doesn't love me, he doesn't love me anymore! I can't bare to go on any more."

Instantly she heard his voice cry out and the deep, booming sound was enough to make her still.

"Wait, don't do it!"

Kagome gasped, standing up and spinning around, widening her eyes theatrically when she could barely make out his shadowy form slipping in and out of the tree branches.

"Who's there?!" she called, playful mirth still carefully hidden within her baby blues. "And what business is it of yours if I kill myself? I have no reason to live anymore." Kagome paused and made several more pathetic cooing attempts to capture his attention, rubbing her eyes delicately and trying to make her appear more innocent.

She was slightly disappointed when the man, most likely demon from what she could make out, didn't answer right away. However, she wasn't expecting him to answer her when he was so close they were almost touching.

"Don't say that," the man whispered from somewhere behind her, a slight wisp of coldness trickling from that silky, purring voice like a fine wine. And yet, the voice held a certain warmth that instantly attracted her attention. She swung around, anxious to get a look at the demon who had managed to somehow get behind her without her seeing or hearing him move, but he managed to keep himself safely hidden within the trees.

"Who are you?" she asked, wincing when she allowed more curiosity to show than she wanted.

He stayed silent. She tried again.

"Hey, I asked you a question! What is your name, demon?"

"You know I'm a demon?"

Kagome's mouth opened and closed rapidly and she growled to herself for making such a stupid mistake.

"Uh...it was just a guess. So are you going to tell me your name anyway?"

Kagome let out a huff and crossed her arms in front of her chest when the demon still chose not to answer that particular question. _Well fine, if that's the way he's going to be. _Kagome turned away from the crafty demon and stalked her way back to her perch, stretching her arms out on wide on either side of her body.

"Stop!" he commanded.

Kagome paused but did not look back. "Why should I?"

Once again our fair kitsune stayed silent, wondering if the woman was somehow playing with him now. She was certainly acting peculiar...not that she hadn't been earlier. But there was just something so...deceptive in the way that she moved. He was almost positive she was not what she appeared. And that set him on edge.

Kagome gritted her teeth and forced a smile onto her face. Swinging around, Kagome faced the tree where she sensed his presence. "Well, I'm going to jump now."

Although she couldn't see it, Yoko began to smirk, a laugh bubbling up from the pit of his stomach. The sneak bitch. She'd been playing with him the whole time! She was staring straight at his hiding space and the haughty look in her eyes made it clear she was very aware of his presence. _Well now, perhaps this is the reason I stayed so long. I haven't had this much fun in ages. Okay, vixen, let's see what you got._

"I dare you."

It was almost a whisper but Kagome caught the dare on the wind and gave a start when the demon let out a rumbling laugh, resembling, most suspiciously, like a purr. Good heavens, he almost sounded as if...he'd finally caught on! Coming to that sharp realization, Kagome stopped herself from smacking her forehead in aggravation.

Glaring a little, Kagome turned around. "Fine, I will."

Kagome walked increasingly closer to the edge, all the while keeping the demon's form in sight. "Well, I'm going now, wish me luck."

"Luck!"

"..."

"Here I go."

"Have a good death!"

"...baka..."

_Snicker_

Yoko could hardly contain the glee and the mischievous glowing nature of his golden eyes. She was...charming. And he liked her. This woman knew how to play. He didn't exactly know the nature of her reason for being out her, but a woman like that had no reason to kill herself. Perhaps she was just fond of heights or something, but he knew now that she had no intention of dying right now. And so the game continued.

"So..."

"..?.."

"I thought you were going to jump..."

Kagome glared towards the trees again, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I was, thank you very much, not that it's really any of your business. I just wanted to give you one last chance."

"Me? One last chance? To do what exactly? If you were hoping for me to jump in and save you, think again. I don't do the whole 'damsel in distress' thing, lady. I'm a demon, not some guardian angel."

If she were surprised she didn't show it. Yoko was, however, surprised to see a malicious gleam rise and fall across her face, a fleeting look that made his bloody boil and the hairs on his arms stand on end. He was confused when she started backing away from the cliff instead of heading towards it.

"Oi!" she called one more time, capturing his attention...not that it had been lifted off her once since he'd come across her. He didn't say anything but she knew he was listening. "Before I jump to my most likely gruesomely terrible death, could you please give me something to take with me on my long, perilous journey through purgatory?"

Yoko's eyes narrowed. She wasn't trying to extort money from him was she? She hadn't just been playing with him to learn his secrets or something was she? Not that he had anything of value with him at the moment anyway. He didn't normally carry around the expensive things he stole.

"And what would that be, lady?"

"Your name." It was whispered so softly and so urgently that Yoko almost gave it to her, however he managed to stop himself before the inevitable. She wanted his name? Hell, no! He never gave his name out to anyone unless he trusted them first. And although this woman certainly was fun to play with, he didn't exactly know if he could trust her yet. Besides, she wasn't really going to jump...was she?

"Please?"

When he still kept himself quiet, Kagome shrugged her shoulders and began to run.

Yoko's mouth dropped when he watched the human hurtle towards the side of the cliff. Without really bothering to think about it and quite uncharacteristically of him, he shot out of the trees, anxious to capture her before she fell. "Yoko Kurama!" It was out before he could shut his mouth properly and he felt his heart practically stop in his chest when she skidded to a halt, mere inches from the edge of the cliff.

"What did you say?" she asked, catching a glimpse of her elusive stalker for the first time. And what a handsome stalker her was. She would gladly let him stalk her and antagonize her any day if he always looked like that.

"Yoko..." he panted, "Kurama...that's my name."

"Yoko Kurama, ne?" she tested his name for the first time and smiled at him with wide, happy blue eyes. When he nodded her, smile widened. "Thank you."

And then she jumped.

* * *

And that's it...just kidding! Okay, a show of hands, how many people actually thought I was going to kill a delusional Kagome? Come on, admit it. Anyway, onward.

* * *

Yoko's mouth dropped open as he watched the woman fall over the cliff. For several long moments his body absolutely refused to move. It was almost as if time was standing still. Only after he finally came back to himself, did he move, and move he did. Racing over to the cliff and hoping he didn't have to look down and see that once glorious body sprawled across the sharp rocks below, Yoko was surprised when instead something whooshed up at him, causing his hair to go flying all around him and his body to fall back. Lying on his back, the first thing he saw was wings; beautiful, delicate, feathery white wings looming over him...and that's when he saw her. Her face, her body, her eyes, everything was shining with an inner light he had definitely missed before.

And that's when he realized...she was flying! The woman was actually flying, well gliding was more like it as she continued to weave in and out of the clouds, zooming this way and that, laughing gaily in delight. But if she was flying...then that meant she wasn't human at all!

He watched suspiciously when she landed directly in front of him, wings fluttering about her legs and stilling her movements. Kagome was a bit worried when the man continued to watch her through unblinking eyes and she smiled guiltily. "Hey, are you okay? Did I scare you? You didn't really think I was going to jump to my death, did you? Oh, my bad. I was just playing with you."

Yoko blinked when her face was thrust into his own and she peered at him worriedly, placing a cool palm atop his sweaty brow.

"Who are you girl?" he growled, surprised at himself when he allowed her to continue touching him.

"Name's Kagome, head female of the Angelic Arms." The angel grinned madly.

"The...Angelic Arms?" Yoko questioned.

"Sure!" the woman chirped, though she did not choose to elaborate. "So I really got to you, did I?"

To his credit, Yoko had to choke down the rising need to blush when he realized what he'd done. "You did not!" Stubbornly, Yoko turned around and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was, however, surprised when he felt slender arms encircle his waist to land on top of his own. He shivered when her breath washed over his delicate ears.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to scare you."

"Hmm." Yoko shot a glance over his shoulder at the tiny angelic creature, noting the remorse and apology in her eyes and finally sighed. He just had one question. "So, even if you weren't planning to die, why did you jump anyway."

There were several long moments of thoughtful silence before he heard her whispered answer.

"For the fall."

"The fall?" Yoko turned around and, instead of letting her arms slip away, grabbed her around the waist and captured her against his body. Her eyes were shining beautifully up at him as she allowed the gentle embrace.

"Sure. Haven't you ever felt the rush, that pure, heavenly burst of adrenaline you get when you experience something so terrifying and yet so totally exhilarating it makes your heart feel as if it's about to burst right out of your chest?"

And Yoko realized exactly what she was talking about. It was a thrill he got every time he found a new adventure, discovered a new castle, learned of a new treasure to seek. It was the joy of coming home and the rush that makes your blood boil with intensity and anticipation. Oh, yes, he knew exactly what she was talking about. Just thinking about all those things, made his heart beat faster and he found himself leaning down and doing the thing he had been wanting to do all day.

He kissed her.

Okay...so Kagome hadn't exactly been counting on being kissed as her reward for scaring the poor kitsune. She hadn't really intended for him to be so effected by her joke, but even still, she wasn't exactly trying to pull away when he forced his mouth greedily above hers and drank like he hadn't tasted nourishment in years.

It was over almost as quickly as it started and when Kagome finally got her wits about her, the kitsune had released her and was walking away, back towards her but head turned slightly in her direction.

"Wh-what was that for?" she stammered, blushing heavily when he shot a wink over his shoulder.

"For the fall."

* * *

And that's it. So did you like it? Angelic Arms, I don't know what that is and I didn't explain much so that it didn't complicate this story that much. Kagome's an angel. How she got that way and why, I don't know. Deal with it. Yoko is still our typical Yoko anyway. Oh, and when I started this story, I had been planning on making this a Yoko/Kagome/Kuronue of some sort, but Yoko was hogging the limelight and Kuronue wanted paid. Naturally I didn't have enough for both and I paid Yoko in shiny stuff so it's all good.

Some demons words I may have used.

Youkai-demon or ghost

Kitsune-fox

Vixen-female fox

Baka-idiot, moron, stupid.

Oi-hey

Ne-huh

I think that's all I wanted to say. I suppose I'm pleased with this, though I always hate the way I write diolgue, though at least I made Yoko less talkative and more speculative, as I'm sure he's prone to be. Kagome was a bit silly, but at least she was happy. Well, I truly hope you all enjoyed it. Come back for more later. And if any of you have any song ideas, please feel free to express them. But please stick to songs that have true meaning. No rap and no Evanescence (as much as I love them, their music is way overused). I enjoy country but I'll take any song if it makes me feel strong emotions.

Ja ne.

Kura


	11. In My Arms

Hi guys! Long time, not write, huh? Sorry about that. I've had writer's block for nearly two years but tonight I got the urge to write. I heard a song and though, hey I'll give it a shot. And this is what came of it. The pairing isn't really needed for the story at the end, because this one was meant to show the emotion between Kagome and Shippo. I love stories with them as family and I got inspired by the song In My Arms by Plumb (which I don't own). So after two years of nearly nothing, I give you my newest one shot.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kagome, Shippo, or any other surprise guests I may throw in here, now do I own the song In My Arms. That belongs to Plumb.

* * *

In my Arms

One-shot

_Your baby blues_

_so full of wonder_

_Your Curly Que's_

_your contagious smile_

_When was it_, Kagome absently mused, _that I became a mother without ever giving birth? _Her eyes searched the tall fields of sweet grass, hearing but not seeing the small form of a squealing kitsune. She knew he was there by the childish laughter and the close rustling of the surroundings as the child raced by, chasing after who knew what. His small head popped up and blue eyes suddenly encountered blue eyes, though the child's was of a much lighter and clearer color than her own. And so help her, Kagome couldn't contain the radiant smile that blossomed across her face at the site of his broad smile.

It was true, she could no longer deny it, and her stomach clenched with female pride and something else that wasn't so clearly defined. Shippo was her son, whether or not he was by blood. It had been a long time since she had startled traveling in this strange era and the tiny red headed boy had cunningly wormed his way inside her young heart until she was totally wrapped around his finger. From the color of his hair to the numerous tricks he pulled, Kagome knew everything there was to know about the child and wondered if perhaps he felt the same way about her, only in reverse.

With startling realization, Kagome sat up straighter on the bolder she was perched on and stared straight at the child. _Does Shippo feel the same way? Does he really want me to be his mother, me, barely out of my own childhood? I wonder if I should ask him, but then again that might be too rude, seeing as he might want to remember his real mother. But, oh, I would never want to replace her in Shippo's life. What should I do?_ Kagome bit her lip and her mind barely registered when the small fox stopped his giggling and began to make his way towards her for their daily cuddle.

"Kagome?" The black haired miko merely blinked down at the teal colored eyes, noticing the almost shy way he spoke to her.

_And as I watch _

_you start to grow up_

_All I can do _

_is hold you tight_

Unperturbed by his sudden appearance in front of her, the miko smiled down at the demo child. "Yes? What is it, Shippo?"

"Um, can I please lie in your lap?"

It was then that Kagome noticed her delicate hands had been clenched into fists on her lap as she had worked herself up. It had been preventing the kit from climbing up on her.

Kagome shot him an amused grin at the question, wondering why he didn't just jump her in the first place. "Of course you can, Shippo. My lap is yours whenever you want it, you know that." The child wasn't usually prone to bouts of shyness and he loved affection, especially if it was coming from her. He could also be slightly demanding and would often just jump on her without her permission, though he rarely needed any anyway. She adored holding him and feeling the safe weight of him at night when he curled up in her sleeping bag to sleep.

"Yay!"

With a happy squeal, the fox leapt into her lap and curled into a tiny ball, falling asleep within minutes of landing in his favorite cushioned position. Kagome gave a surprised grunt, though she was careful to keep it quiet so she didn't startle him. Her blue orbs glanced down at the small body, realizing not for the first time, that Shippo was starting to grow up. He had always been pretty small, even for a demon, though his mind was probably years ahead of his body. After all, Shippo was a demon, not a human, and she was pretty sure he was already 50 years old. With a small laugh, Kagome moved her hand and brushed away a strand of burnished red hair away from his adorable little face. It seemed strange that Shippo could have been old enough to be her grandfather when he was still technically a child.

_Knowing…_

The miko's arms continued to tighter around her little boy as she slowly rocked him back and forth, humming a tune she couldn't remember the name of and slowly allowing her eyelids to droop and wondering if she had what it took to protect him, now and forever. Could she be a mother to this child?

If Kagome were being truthful, at least to herself, her biggest fears lay in the unknown. Fear of the future, fear of not knowing what life was going to bring her. At 20 years of age, her life had already introduced so many mysteries and headaches than she had originally planned for. After all, spending your teenage years growing up in an age before your time, certainly caused you to think and act differently. She had seen and done so many wondrous things that she herself had a hard time believing she lived through it all.

She had traveled through time, met demons of all shapes and sizes, befriended almost everyone she came into contact with, the exception being Naraku (Kagome crossed herself and thanked god that Naraku had been destroyed years ago) and even seemingly played mother to an orphaned demon kit, a demon kit she had no idea how to provide for. The only thing she knew now was that she was never going to let anyone hurt the little boy ever again.

_Clouds will rage in  
Storms will race in  
But you will be safe in my arms  
Rains will pour down  
Waves will crash all around  
But you will be safe in my arms  
_

He had been dreaming of the past again. A certain rusty colored kitsune rubbed his eyes, wiping away the slight drops of moisture that still clung to his lashes. He gave a small start when something constricted around him, for a moment believing he was back in his dream and the two thunder demons were crushing him as they'd done his poor father. And then a soft, murmuring voice broke through his whimpers and the voice registered not of his anguished father or of the scary duo, but of the miko whom had so kindly taken him in when he had nowhere to turn.

"Shh, shh, my little one, you don't have to be afraid anymore. Hush now, I have you and I'll keep you safe." Her voice was comforting like it always was and he gave a few more shuddering sobs before he fell into silence, content to listen to her quiet whisperings and reassurances.

He drifted back into his fantasies, only now they were filled with castles and fairy tale princesses, and he saw the face of the woman he saw as his mother wearing formal dress, coming out to greet him, wrapping her arms around him and asking him all about his grand adventures. After all, he was Shippo the Great. He went around slaying evil demons just so he could keep his mother safe. Because that was how he saw her. His mother was a princess, no, a queen, no, even that wasn't the word he would use for her. She was a goddess of the highest quality and she had rescued him, albeit with a little help from a certain stuck up hanyou.

_Story books are full of fairy-tales_

_Of kings and queens _

_and the bluest skies  
_

He realized with startling clarity something that made him jump out of sleep and slip onto the ground, startling the dozing miko.

"Shippo!" she shrieked, already reaching for him. "I'm so sorry, I must have dropped you while I was sleeping."

He gave no notice as she began asking him if he was all right and apologizing for dropping him. For once he ignored her and began focusing on what his dream had meant. His dreams had always been fairytale-like, if they weren't the usual nightmares. But most of the time, he had seen his father or even his real mother in the role of king or queen, instead of the gentle miko. His eyes widened with fascinating realization and he wondered if his demon had finally accepted that this miko as his new mother. Of course his mind and body had figured out this little tidbit a long time ago, but Shippo's inner demon rarely showed its head, intent on sinking into the background until he was a little older. Or at least until he had his next growth spurt and they could coexist as equals, sort of like Sesshoumaru. But this, this meant that his demon, his whole self finally accepted the woman into his life, something that rarely ever happened and certainly something he hadn't thought would happen to him.

It wasn't that he didn't already love Kagome. She was his protector, his teacher, his friend. And somewhere along the way, perhaps just today, his demon had finally accepted her. It truly _was_ rare that a demon let a human be its mother, let its heart love. Without realizing it, Shippo began to smile, feeling more whole than he had in a long time. His demon soul was stirring, anxious to be back in his mother's arms, and so it was that Kagome was quite surprised when she found herself at the receiving end of a tremendous hug.

"You're my mom, my mom, I can't believe it! Finally, I have a mother again." Shippo was babbling over and over again and it took a few minutes for Kagome's head to stop ringing from the force of Shippo's blow, both physical and mental. But when she finally did hear the softly spoken words her body tensed up, freezing in place.

Feeling the change in the air and her scent Shippo too froze wondering if something was wrong. "Mama, are you okay? Is there a demon around? Are you hurting somewhere?" Shippo gently patted her chest and arms, wondering if an old wound was aching or something when two soft hands gripped the sides of his face and turned his head up. He was met with two watery blue eyes, staring confusedly into his own.

"Y-you," Kagome stuttered before settling her emotions. "You called me mama."

_My heart is torn _

_just in knowing_

_You'll someday see_

_the truth for lies  
_

The kitsune let out a startled gasp, realizing he was the cause of her distress. Of course she would be upset. He hadn't even asked for permission to call her mom. Did she even want to be his new mom? He knew she cared and loved him, but was it to that extent? Would the miko in her even let him be her son, without wanting to someday destroy him?

And then she said something that put everything he was agonizing over to rest.

"Say it again," she whispered, holding him tightly, silent tears running down her face. "Please, Shippo, call me mama again."

Shippo's eyes welled up with tears and he gave a gasping cry as he once again launched himself back into her lap. "Mom, mama, mother, I'll never stop calling you that. You're my new mom, my demon told me so."

And then he was laughing, crying, and trying to bury himself in her arms as mother and child finally acknowledged each other.

_Clouds will rage in  
Storms will race in  
But you will be safe in my arms  
Rains will pour down  
Waves will crash all around  
But you will be safe in my arms  
_

The blearing of an alarm clock caused a warm, cocooned body to fall almost completely out of bed, startled as he was at the sudden noise. Giving a small yowl when his tail was swiped at by what he referred to as _that stupid feline_, Shippo kicked the chubby cat away and stretched, content to ignore _that stupid feline's _indignant mewing.

"Shippo, get dressed and come down now, young man, I know you're up!" his mother shouted up the stairs. "You're going to be late for school and no son of mine is going to be late on his first day of high school."

Shippo chuckled softly to himself, _like you were so many times._ His mother had an impressive track record for being late, something he was sure stemmed from her years of going back and forth between the Feudal Era and this one, the one he now lived in. To this day, he wondered how her strict boss put up with her constant string of tardiness. The kitsune in a teenager's body gave another small sigh and then climbed to his feet, already feeling the effects of sleep slipping away. As a demon he didn't need much sleep anyway, much preferring to take cat naps during the day and maybe 5 hours a night, if that.

_Castles, they might crumble_

_Dreams may not come true_

_'Cause you are never all alone  
_

Shippo dressed quickly and efficiently and then made his way downstairs, stopping just outside the kitchen when he heard the sound of his mother's laughter and shouting coming from someone else, a male. Shippo smirked and his eyes flashed with good humor as he began to wonder when she would ever tell him she was being courted. Or perhaps, if his sense of smell was correct, she didn't know it yet. He started to go into the kitchen again when a dark haired male suddenly appeared through the doorway, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Hey, Shippo!" the male smirked, brown eyes playful and less guarded than they usually were. The fox grinned back, baring a fang.

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you just stopped in to see little old me."

The older male scoffed. "Yeah, right! Who'd come back just for you, you little runt?"

Shippo wasn't offended by the words, though they did make him remember a certain white haired ruffian from years past. He wondered if it was a coincidence or fate that both serious relationships of his mother's had been with half-breeds with bad attitudes. Ah, at least this one seemed to respect the accomplishments of his beloved mother, instead of ignoring them. "Anyway, catch ya' later, Shippo, Koenma's calling me out again. I don't know why he thinks he can get away with telling a demon lord what to do, but I suppose it doesn't hurt in the long run. Oh, and don't forget, if you're trying to hide from the teachers, the roof is the ultimate hiding spot."

Yusuke's departing words left Shippo laughing and Kagome bellowing after him, warning him not to corrupt her son anymore than he already was.

"Hey, Shippo-chan," the miko grinned when he glided into the kitchen, noting the mischievous look in her son's eyes and giving him a questioning look. "What are you plotting now, young man? Don't tell me you've decided to listen to that stupid blockhead!"

_Cause I will always…_

_Always love you._

The rusty colored kitsune pouted adorably. "Aw, mama, always so quick to judge. Why do you always doubt me?" Shippo's eyes slanted even more with merriment. "Or the demon who thinks he can take away my mother."

Kagome squawked and her face turned red and Shippo couldn't hold it in anymore, laughing long and loud, as she tried to refute his last statement. The miko couldn't find it in her to stay mad and embarrassed for long so she scolded him gently, fed her growing son some breakfast, and then sent him off to school, holding the tears at bay upon seeing him in his school uniform for the first time. He had never been to a real school before, having been homeschooled so he could catch up on the new age. She wondered if perhaps this is what it felt like for her own mother.

"Hey, Shippo," Kagome whispered, many hours later, lifting a hand to pet his long hair, pulling out the long braid and winding his fiery hair around her fingers.

"Hm?" her son murmured, already halfway dozing in her lap, exactly the way he'd done when he was just a young kit. It was amazing what five years could do to a person, but her adopted son had grown into such a handsome young adult. She knew he would be a lady killer when he was fully grown and it filled her with both delight and sadness to see her only son so grown up. She wondered for a moment if the children she had in the future would be as special as this one. If she had the capacity to love a child that wasn't hers by blood, how would she be with her true blood children? Well, she reasoned, blood or not, Shippo would always be her first.

_Hey I  
Hey I  
Will love…_

"What made you decide to call me mother?" she asked after a moment of content silence and Shippo's gentle purrs. It was the one question she'd never asked him. But truthfully she had always wondered why she was the privileged one, why he had accepted her before anyone else.

"Well…" Shippo started, wondering how to answer. After all, there were a multitude of reasons he could give her. Finally he settled on one, the one that would convey the most meaning. "I guess it's because every part of me wanted to belong to you."

If Kagome was shocked by the confession she didn't let him see it. Because somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that his reason was exactly the same as her own. The miko simply held him closer, stroking his hair and smelling his exotic, smoky scent, glad to know that even if she still didn't know what the future held, she would always be there to keep him safe.

_Clouds will rage in  
Storms will race in  
But you will be safe in my arms  
Rains will pour down  
Waves will crash all around  
But you will be safe in my arms_

_In my arms_

_

* * *

_Well, that's it. Trust me that it came out of nowhere. As for the rest of my stories, don't expect any updates so soon. I have to get back into the swing of things, plus I've got some new interests I've been dealing with. I love Death Note and have been wondering if I should write my own Death Note/Inuyasha crossover and believe me I've had so many ideas I've been unable to sleep. But I don't know if I can do the Death Note era justice. Those people were geniuses and some of the conversations in Death Note make my head spin. I still have to go back and read the end, just to see how everything is finally figured out. Anyway, that's it for now. Hope you like it.

Also thank you for the reviews you guys still give me. I'm sorry I'm probably letting some of you down by not updating, but I will someday. Thanks for all your patience so far.


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